We Wish you a Legendary Christmas!
by Soldier of the Future
Summary: It's that time of the year again, and Arceus is throwing a Christmas party. However, there are dilemmas...how would he solve them alone? Of course, it's time for Ash and his new friends to get busy! Contains Altoshipping. Story is rebooted to cover more characters that weren't focused upon in older updates.
1. Chapter 1

**BR/N:**_** First time proof-reading something other than SOTF's main fic. Hope it's to your satisfaction. Oh, and Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year.**_

_**Well, it's that time of the year again where we haul out the Christmas tree and give each other presents with gratitude and thankfulness, and another year is soon to pass by. And what better time to make a Christmas-themed story for the year of 2011? However, I've got my own twist in mind.**_

_**This short story is about several Legendary Pokémon trying to get accustomed to human life and getting the right presents, with only the help of some human friends! Will Dialga, Palkia and Giratina be able to fit into human life as they search for the right presents in time for Arceus's grand party that he has held for all his followers, along with the human friends they've made?**_

_**Note: There is a very small amount of OCs in this story (one is a legendary, mind you!) but it won't divert too much from the canonical storyline in terms of character originality. Note that Ash is eighteen-years-old here, but he'll retain his well-known traits from the anime (such as eating endlessly). Deciding the main character was difficult too, but I picked Arceus and Mew because they both appear throughout tge fic. The main character, as a whole, is a nightmare for me to decide for starters.  
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_**BIG WARNING: This contains some spoilers for _**Pokémon Heroes: Uprising. Read at your own caution. You have been warned!**_  
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_**Finally, all legendaries are able to speak and understand the human language, and so can their human companions that they befriended.**_

_**I really hope you enjoy this! I had a blast making this story. And before I forget, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, along with any other holidays you may celebrate during this month. Don't you all agree that 2011 went by fast? It sure did for me.**_

_**While I'm typing this up, my first semester for my third year of university is already over. No, I will not tell you which university I go to, so don't ask. =P**_

_**Once again, I have to thank my beta, Tendou Souji, for fixing this up.**_

_**And before I move out, I don't own Pokémon or any of its characters. Saying that I do is like taking on Giratina with a pistol and hoping to win against her with a peashooter.**_

_**Darn, my author's notes are getting longer and longer these days. Forgive me for that.  
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><p><strong>We Wish you a Legendary Christmas! (Part 1)<br>**

_"Knowledge can never replace friendship. I prefer to be an idiot and have you as my friend!" - Patrick Star_

**Hall of Origins**

The cold winter weather of December was beginning to settle in, with the malls and shopping locations all over the Pokémon World jam-packed with individuals trying to finish up their Christmas shopping before the 25th hit home. There were only two weeks or so until the holiday arrived, and there was no time to waste as everyone who needed presents got straight down to a mad shopping spree in malls all over the world, from Kanto all the way to Oblivia.

They say that humans were the only ones who celebrated this holiday but among those who watched over them from the stars and heavens up above, Christmas was just as an important festivity to Arceus and his subjects as it was to the average family looking forward to receiving presents from their loved ones. To this end, the Alpha Pokémon took the liberty of throwing a party in the Hall of Origins. Every legendary, along with any humans they had befriended, was invited to the annually-held celebration. It was also a thank you gift from the Pokémon Overlord to those who sacrificed so much to achieve victory in the last battle that saw great ruin being dealt to the planet.

Like the humans, who were all given a minimum vacation time spanning an impressive three weeks, Arceus sent all his followers to enjoy themselves ever since December began. He knew their jobs were just as difficult as his, and the humble Lord knew they deserved that break for putting so much dedication and effort into their tiring assignments and tasks.

Each and every legendary, especially a high-ranking one such as a General, was assigned a human companion to travel with them for the shopping procedure. Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza, being Earth's Administrators, were allowed to go alone as they had spent their entire lives living and breathing in the blue planet's atmosphere so they were very well acquainted with the lifestyle of the mortals. On the other hand, the Generals, being Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, were far less skilled with the standard day of life as a human, and as such were given a human to guide them. A Pokémon Ranger was assigned to Palkia, while Ash had Giratina tag along with him. Dialga went along with a Pokémon Trainer who was a seemingly newfound friend of Ash.

Of course, all three boys were Pokémon hybrids too, but this had to be kept a secret. They did a particularly good job at it, being able to mask their alternate forms without drawing too much attention. But what he worried about most was the Creation Trio losing their forms in public; this would generate tremendous public shock if they revealed their gigantic body shapes in the eyes of thousands, even though they had fought alongside humanity during the Uprising conflicts.

From the corridors of his pristine, heavenly palace, Arceus could hear the voices of Celebi and Jirachi happily commenting on how fun their jobs of putting up Christmas decorations were. Other Legendary Pokémon, such as Raikou and Groudon, were… not having a very enjoyable time with their tasks.

"Wheee!" This is fun!" Jirachi squealed childishly as he flew around in a hyper manner, clutching a batch of Christmas lights in his tiny arms. Various colors of staple-sized light bulbs protruded from a long length of wire as the tiny Wish Pokémon hung them up eagerly and with care. "All's finished here, Celebi! Flip the switch!"

The Grass/Psychic-type legendary giggled before she activated the switch that illuminated the lights, flooding the room they were decorating in with a multitude shading of colours that emanated from the small, coloured bulbs. "Now that's what I call colourful."

"Yay! I like the pretty colours that these lights give off!" Jirachi commented frivolously at their hard work before picking up two red-coloured stockings with his tiny hands. "Let's put up these stockings now!"

"Sure thing. You're sure in the holiday mood, aren't you?" the small green Pokémon who had the power to travel through time commented.

"Christmas means wishes in need of granting, and wishes that are granted mean happiness!" Excited, Jirachi immediately got to work at hanging up the stockings that would soon be filled with treats, pint-sized gifts, and other surprises for the guests that would be arriving in two weeks.

"I guess," Celebi shrugged in a clueless fashion as she assisted the Psychic/Steel-type in his task.

Across the room, the legendary beasts were not having an easy time unlike the small-sized legendaries. Raikou got himself entangled in some strands of Christmas lights, and it took the combined effort of Entei and Suicune to free the Electric-type Pokémon from his self-inflicted trap.

"Be careful," Suicune scolded Raikou. "You'll short out all the lights if you try to Thunderbolt your way out of them!"

Raikou simply snorted without a care in response. "Give me a break, it's not like I'm paying for these contraptions."

The Alpha Pokémon heard his followers' excitement and enjoyable time of decorating his residence, but the god himself had more stressful matters on his mind than a military general about to suffer defeat at the ends of an enemy army.

"…I just hope I did not make the wrong choice inviting the humans here," Arceus muttered under his breath as he stood alone in the vast chamber in which he resided in. He wanted all of his children to enjoy their time off from their mind and soul-deteriorating duties, but at the same moment, he could not help but worry that things might go wrong. _"How am I going to provide a present for each and every one of my children, along with their human companions? I can't even get a decent present for the Creation Trio except for a scolding!"_ The thought of having to scold his three most important advisors gave him a serious headache.

"Aw, Arcy, stop being such a grump!" a cheerful voice echoed throughout the chamber. The Alpha Pokémon cocked his head towards the source of the noise and witnessed Mew flying in with a bright and sunny smile plastered on her tiny face. "You know your entrusted human friends will take good care of the Creation Trio, so why worry?"

If there was one thing that annoyed Arceus more than his disciples participating in infighting that resulted in tremendous chaos, it was Mew and her playful antics. "My occupation is dauntingly difficult, even during times of peace. You know that, correct?"

"Well…" Mew fidgeted as she performed several twirls in the air, trying to think up of a viable excuse. "It's the holiday season! It's time for us to unwind and just enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Don't you agree? And I'm sure they'll all appreciate the party you're throwing them!"

"If only it was that simple," Arceus groaned in reply. "Being a god isn't child's play…, far from it. I can say that my job is more daunting than a military commander or the President of Kanto himself."

"Everything is hard for you!" Mew whined, her face transforming to one of a pouty child. "From deciding what's for dinner all the way to things like conflicts. You can never make things simple."

"Each decision I make may have a drastic impact on fate itself," Arceus warned in a noble voice. "It is only reasonable that I take the time to decide so that my decisions' benefits outweigh the potential consequences that come with it."

"Excuses, excuses! That's always your reason," Mew giggled. "Come on, let's go help Lady Reshiram finish up that special pie she cooked up! It's going to be dreamingly delicious and I'm sure our guests would love her delicacies!"

The Alpha Pokémon shook his head slowly. "Not in the mood. I have to make sure there are no more conflicts." The Supreme God of all Pokémon turned to one of the psychic surveillance scenes of Earth where a riot was currently taking place somewhere in Hoenn. However, a band of riot police and Pokémon Rangers had arrived on the scene and threatened to disperse the mob with non-lethal weapons. Although Arceus would have punished the ones who sided with the law given their usage of violence, it was justified. They were only trying to quell the riot. _"Not again. At least I don't have to send in my greatest soldiers to handle this mess."_

"Something wrong, Arcy?" Mew questioned in a caring fashion, taking note of the troubled-looking face that Arceus sported on his grim-looking expression.

"No. Just a bit stressed. Why don't you go help the others preparing for the party that's in two weeks? I'm positive they would appreciate your assistance. I for one would appreciate it if you left me alone for a bit," Arceus told her bluntly, hoping to send off the New Species Pokémon that buggered him to no end.

"They don't want me!" she whined in high-pitched tone. "Zekrom is a grumpy one while Reshiram doesn't want me to bother her, the legendary birds and beasts are far too busy with the decorations everywhere and don't want any assistance for starters, while Groudon and Kyogre are once again arguing who made the better Christmas tree. Besides that, Mewtwo is being the casual grump he is as he's busy with name allocation and making sure we have enough seats for the dinner party, and I'm not even sure if he's even going to show up anyways. Then there's Celebi, Jirachi, Shaymin and the Lake Trio, and they are even more heavy-handed as they're occupied with making sure that Santa Claus has every house filled out on his "to visit" list." Mew paused for a moment, happy that many of her friends are willing to help out the iconic jolly human of the North Pole with his busy and upcoming adventure around the world to deliver happiness to every child on the planet. "Of course, there are the other legendaries that I haven't mentioned - they're either not going to participate in the party, or are busy with shopping."

Arceus sighed, disappointed that not all of his followers and trustees would be participating in the gathering. "Most unfortunate for them, but they have priorities over others. It is perfectly understandable." He knew that Darkrai and Cresselia in particular were busy with the reconstruction of Sinnoh's natural landscape after the majority of it was sucked lifeless by a sinister Black Obelisk, one of the many inventions that their enemies developed during the war to terraform entire worlds to their own liking. "It is a nightmare beyond comprehension and realization, even for my ancestors."

"So, now can I play with you?" Mew shot up impatiently, eager to have yet another fun-enriched hour or two with the god. "Or at least have a friendly talk?"

The Alpha Pokémon shook his head before finally surrendering. There was no way he was able to get rid of Mew, as she was just _that_ pestering in most cases. "Okay, I give up. What do you want to hear about?"

Mew clapped her hands in glee as she realized she finally got the better of Arcy, flying around in circles excitedly like a fighter plane having a severe technical issue with its ability to fly properly. "First of all, I want to know about this 'Christmas'! Where does it come from? Why is it declared such an important event? Pleeeeeeease tell me!"

Arceus chuckled lightly as he gestured Mew to sit down and hear the origins of Christmas, and the small pink-colored Pokémon obliged as she flew down and made herself comfortable on the Overlord's head. "Alright Mew, I'll tell you all about it, so sit down and listen carefully. It all started when humanity…"

The New Species Pokémon gave her utmost attention to her dear Father as he began his story. Arceus started it off with a history of it being a tradition of many human cultures that saw Christmas as a festivity for families, friends and loved ones to gather and celebrate a great time during the cold winters. However, the history of the holiday was not without its dark sides, as Arceus had revealed there were those who were willing to take advantage of it for their own desires.

"Is it any different from the many knowledge-lacking humans, such as Cyrus?" Mew questioned as she thought about the story.

"Not one bit," Arceus responded in a rather toneless-sounding voice. "History repeats itself, and it will continue to do so until those who choose to break the harmony of nature learn their lessons. It's a sad prospect but as many of us have seen, it is true."

While some of the more arrogant legendaries would call this crackpot and nonsense, they had grown to respect the majority of humanity's religions too as appreciation for other viewpoints, as long as it wasn't taken too far or bigoted, was a code of honour among the Arceans.

"I just hope Dialga, Palkia and Giratina are having it easy," Arceus spoke with a tone of worry. "If anything, they're probably causing a rampage at the mall after someone offended them."

Mew giggled in a carefree fashion. "Stop being negative, Arcy! You need to have hope for your children, especially when they are your top-of-the-line commanders!"

"…Unfortunately, I lost hope in them a long time ago. Their constant fighting is proof that putting my trust in them is not a wise move and should be avoided at all costs." The Creation Trio had gotten into so much fights throughout history that even the Alpha Pokémon had stopped taking count of how much times they were willing to kill each other.

"They worked together during the Uprising war!" Mew spoke up with a demure smile, willing to change the god's opinion of his three fiercest followers and offspring. "The same goes for Reshiram and Zekrom. Until recently, they would never stop agreeing what was correct: truths and ideals. At least they have settled their differences now!"

The Alpha Pokémon shook his head. "They do not exactly live under my order, so I'm still slightly sceptical regarding them."

"They helped us out during the Uprising war!" Mew repeated, giggling all the while. "Shouldn't that prove their loyalty us?"

"Mew, isn't it time for you to help Reshiram out with desserts?" Arceus asked, hoping to get the hyper and energetic Pokémon to stop badgering him. "I am positive she would greatly appreciate your assistance."

The Psychic-type legendary that was no taller than two feet shook her head rapidly. "I've already did that! I want to hear more about Christmas! Please?"

Arceus groaned troublesomely. This was going to be a frustrating Christmas; that, he was positively sure about.

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><p>In the kitchen area of Arceus's pristine and grand palace, the Legendary Pokémon Reshiram and Zekrom were busy prepping for the eventual buffet that would be served to all the guests at the party. Both Pokémon were just as old, knowledgeable and experienced as the rest of Arceus's followers, although they did not fall under his jurisdiction like the majority of the gods and goddesses. However, both had also played pivotal roles during the Uprising war against Team Rocket, the UAAF, the Renegade Rangers, and other enemy factions all united under one flag to plunge all of existence into darkness; both Pokémon even contributed their strength to the battle. While nowhere near the power or strength of the Creation Trio, they were on par with the likes of Groudon and Kyogre. Controlling the elements of fire and electricity respectively, the pair of deities administered the necessary needs to the faraway region of Unova in the United States.<p>

Although both entities have been known for the vicious clashes on Earth over different ideological ways of thinking (Reshiram placed great emphasis on truth, kindness and happiness, along with the well-being of those who believed in her while Zekrom cared nothing more than ideals, valor, and bravery and thus, cared for those who displayed such personalities and traits), the two placed their differences aside eventually, much to the relief of Arceus and the rest of his legendary ranks.

"My, do you think this party will be enriching and successful?" Reshiram queried her counterpart as she psychically chopped some vegetables up before moving the contents into a dumpster-sized cooking pot placed over the stove. From within the boiling soup, a gentle aroma of vegetable soup rose from within the heated liquids.

"It sure will. While I'm not a fan of human festivals, it's an honour to be able to thank those around us for the sacrifices they've made for our freedom and happiness," her brother, Zekrom, huffed as he carefully placed the finished cheesecake into the fridge. "Lord Arceus would definitely love it, especially when the majority of his followers and allies will show up at this festivity. …I hope my food turns out well." He was looking forward to see how the guests would react to his "shocking cheesecake surprise".

"If your food turns out to be god awful, you can always get Lady Dialga to help you. She's an outstanding cook," the dragoness recommended, having learned the majority of techniques on how to make heavenly meals from the Temporal Goddess.

Zekrom shrugged his wide, imposing wings that were tougher than titanium. "Cooking's not my forte. I'm better off at warfare so I'll leave the meal-making process to the females!"

The Vast White Pokémon smiled. She was definitely looking forward to seeing some old faces again, especially Ash and his allies. The trainer had recently completed his journey throughout Unova, and while he not declared a Champion in the league, the fall of Team Plasma thanks to the young trainer, now eighteen years of age, made the Fire/Dragon-type goddess all the much happier. "I can't believe Team Plasma would resort to cloning us two and using them as fake figures to give us a bad name. It's outrageous."

Laughing deeply, Zekrom immediately got to work with mixing the gravy that would be used to provide the mashed potatoes, homemade chicken and steak a heavenly taste. "I don't know about you, but I'd say they got their hands around some of the UAAF's cloning tech. Just because that corporation was brought to its knees doesn't mean there won't be others willing to pick up their pieces to continue their research."

"Poor N," Reshiram lamented, feeling gratefully sorry for the misguided and disillusioned boy. "He was lied to and cheated by that spineless Ghetsis. I'm glad that vile-minded cultist received a lifelong sentence for his attempted insurrection in Unova."

"Lifelong sentence? Give me a break!" the Deep Black Pokémon chortled arrogantly, the name bringing a deep rage and hate from his heart. "He's lucky he didn't encounter me, otherwise I'd reduce him into a pile of smoldering ash in one strike like I did with the majority of the UAAF troops!"

"…Is it necessary, though?" his sister asked as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

"Don't be a hypocrite. You burned them to nothingness in the major battles," Zekrom countered, recalling the times where his sibling would burn a swathe of destruction in the legions of troops, vehicles, corrupted Pokémon and anything else that bore the Team Rocket or UAAF insignia. "We would be condemned, but then, what's to say against an enemy who contributed to the fourth fall of Earth?"

Reshiram sighed deeply inside her mind. It was years ever since that event and still, the terrible and mind-scarring memories from that war left a dark shadow on the history of deities and mortals alike all across the world. While they thought the Uprising war was the last major battle that Earth would be devastated by for a very long time, they were rightfully wrong when a mysterious faction by the name of Team Plasma surfaced in the United States, using experimental and stolen tech from the defunct UAAF to once again, endanger the world on a global scale. To this end, both the Vast White and Deep Black legendaries were cloned and given to N and Ghetsis as a means of implementing their new authority. Of course, it was foiled by Ash's noble actions, with the help of some legendaries.

"_Why waste your life for a lost cause? You know existence itself will fall to us, and all those standing in our path will be crushed without mercy." Ghetsis laughed. "The people believe in my lies, but I will lead them to happiness. Don't you think so? Hmm?"  
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"…_that's something you have to ask yourself." Reshiram snarled in return, glaring at the mockery of a clone with extreme hatred.  
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"…_I'LL CRUSH YOU LIKE THE INCOMPETENT CREATURE YOU ARE! Subject 643, burn her to smithereens!"_

Speeches and quotes from the past haunted the minds of both siblings alike, never being able to imagine the insanity of the megalomaniacal antagonists they had triumphed over. Even though the conflict had come and gone, it was something that would never disappear from their histories.

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><p><strong>Castelia City, Shopping Zone<strong>

Two individuals attempted to manoeuvre their way through the jam-packed streets of Castelia City, with the younger boy leading the white-haired individual like a tour guide assisting tourists in a hot vacation spot.

"Man, what did I do to get myself into this position? This place is jam-packed with people, and it'll take forever for us to get presents!" the God of Space, Palkia, grumbled. As much as he would have loved to clear the crowds out with one powerful Spatial Rend or simply fight his way through with both his arms adorning Spatial Sabers, it was a ridiculous prospect. They were not at war, and of course, Arceus would have _very_ likely condemned it as a crime unless they were attacked by the masses. "We should have come here back in November instead of now!"

Leon simply chuckled at his statement. "Calm down, Palkia. You're the supreme ruler of space. I thought you knew better than to snap at a situation like this. You know I couldn't come anyways as we were both busy back then, remember?"

Fidgeting nervously, the Spatial Pokémon shrugged in stupidity. He realized he had to lose his war-like attitude sometime ever since peace and security was achieved. "I guess. By the way, I have to owe you lots for being able to come along and help me with my Christmas shopping. I know it's tough for you to be away from your Pokémon Ranger Corps duty or spending time with Latios and the others, but…"

"Don't sweat it! I'm honoured to be an advisor for one of Arceus's greatest generals!" the Ranger exclaimed sincerely in a humble manner. "We're on leave anyways, and they still have to clean up that fiasco after Commander Flynn Dacote sold us out as a traitor to Team Rocket. Thankfully, they let me off the hook. I could've been trialed seriously for going against orders. Latios and the others are busy with their own engagements anyways, so don't take it too hard on yourself."

"What happened to the little guy anyways?" Palkia asked, referencing Latios's young age compared to him - approximately 500 compared to 700 trillion, respectively.

"He's in Alto Mare with Krakatoa, taking care of Bianca and Lorenzo. Heard that the dear old man's beginning to fall weak. I hope he doesn't pass away anytime soon, though," Leon responded sadly. "After all, good-hearted people like him were the only ones who didn't attempt to sell me out for my betrayal after the majority of Rangers rebelled against Arceus or anyone who didn't side with the Rockets and the UAAF." It was one of the most shaming events in the history of the Pokémon Ranger Corps. A major figure in the command chain of the organization had led a large amount of troops that were loyal to him and organized a treacherous movement against justice as they sided with the UAAF and its allies.

"If they so dare put you on death row for something you did for the better of Father, the future and all of us," Palkia growled angrily, "I would have butchered each and every one of them. Goddamn corporate and government swine don't have respect for any heroes; they just love to bathe in their hoarded greed without a care for what they're actually doing." The corruption of humanity greatly disgusted him and made him loathe the race, but it was only recently where he gained respect for the few individuals that were brave and courageous enough to aid his kin in their greatest hour of need, such as Ash Ketchum and his friends.

"Calm down, bud," Leon warned anxiously. "We don't want your rage to trigger your transformation in such a mass gathering of people."

"I know. Thanks for reminding me," the Spatial Pokémon huffed before clearing his mind of the vile thoughts towards the darker side of humanity.

They strolled through the snow-covered streets of Castelia City, looking for the perfect present for their friends and family members alike. None of them really caught their attention, mainly because the products were either dull at first glance or just overly expensive.

"What a place," the god complimented at the towering skyscrapers that rose into the heavens. "Who knew Lady Reshiram and Lord Zekrom would be administering to such a populous place halfway around the world?"

Leon scratched his head slightly. "Beats me. This is actually my first time in Unova. Zephyr knows Unova like the back of his hand so he'd be a great help in our endeavour. Shame I couldn't contact him though. I'm grateful to him for helping me control my powers and all… but I don't think he deserved all the losses he suffered in the war. He seemed depressed when we went our separate ways…, I hope he's okay."

Palkia chose not to comment on Leon's muse. He does not particularly share Leon's opinion about the aforementioned teen. During the course of the war, the legendaries had a _very_ rocky partnership with Zephyr. They were rather wary of him since his heart was heavily corrupted by darkness like many of the UAAF soldiers that dared cross their paths. The fact that he acted dismissive, especially towards Arceus, did little for his image in the legendaries' eyes. Heck, there were only four legendaries who do not possess an ounce of hatred towards him: Giratina, since she admired his way of life; Mew, as she pitied the human and viewed him as a victim of circumstance; and the Unova legendaries, Reshiram and Zekrom, mainly because of their unorthodox way of thinking and that they weren't under Arceus's rule.

A thought suddenly crossed his mind as Palkia reminded himself that he needed to know how much money they had on hand. "That reminds me. How much money do you have?" the Spatial God questioned. "I didn't really bring too much cash, as I didn't know human gifts would be so expensive…" The pricey gifts on sale greatly baffled him.

"I currently have twenty thousand Pokédollars in my bank account. Don't worry. I'll pay for everything. I've been doing so ever since I met Ash and the rest of his crew," Leon answered in a carefree voice.

"Holy Mew!" Palkia screamed, drawing the attention of other humans but they didn't pay him too much attention. After all, it was almost time for the most exciting part of the year aside from summer vacation. "You're _that_ rich?"

Leon laughed quietly in response. "Don't act surprised. The Ranger Corps pay their soldiers surprisingly well. If you think a Corporal is rich, ask Lieutenant Havoc, one of the most decorated veterans next to Lunick and Solana. That gruff bum makes hundreds and thousands of Pokedollars a year, but considering what he's gone through… well, you get the point. I got a boost of income too after the war." He paused for a moment as he waved in a friendly fashion towards a family who were amazed to see a Ranger in public, adorning a full uniform. Two of the kids were clutching packaged Zekrom and Zoroark action figures in their small-sized hands. "As I was saying, money doesn't matter to me. You can't buy friends with cash. I'm sure I wouldn't be able to earn Dialga's friendship even if I stole everything the Pokémon Ranger Corps had in their bank accounts and handed it to her."

"Wish I was that rich on Earth, but we gods and goddesses have no use for money," Palkia soliloquized, rolling his eyes. "Too bad Dialga and Giratina are the preferred ladies, as Arceus gave them enough money to spend on a new sports car, while I only have enough for a new Wii console!" He shoved his hands into his pockets and realized he only had about three hundred dollars' worth of bills and coins.

"Uh, actually… you spent it all on that slot machine and Poker game this afternoon at the casino, and you lost…, badly. Arceus gave you a truckload worth of human money but you threw the majority of it away in one sitting," Leon reminded him. While Palkia wanted to gamble even more, the Ranger talked some sense into him regarding the money he was throwing away like candy wrappers and managed to snap him out of the madness that had addicted the god's mind.

"Oh, be quiet. I only wanted more money so I can buy a gift for everyone!" he shouted in protest.

Leon shook his head. "Gifts aren't all about items of materialistic value. I'm sure there are some who would appreciate it you simply sent them a Christmas card."

"If only that was true…" the Spatial God complained in a disappointing mood. "Giratina probably got me a lump of coal from the Distortion World's putrid mines for this year."

While one would be alarmed at Palkia given his gigantic, forty feet tall build that towered over anything smaller than the Water/Dragon-type, Arceus had granted each and every one of his children (the Creation Trio, to be exact, as the rest of the legendaries were either busy in their own homes or at the Hall of Origins preparing for the surprise party) the power to transform into a human at will so they would be able to travel to Earth, along with their newfound friends, to celebrate Christmas. In this state, Palkia had transformed into a grey-haired teen in his twenties, wearing a white button-up shirt with a grey T-shirt underneath and a pair of sky-blue jeans. To protect himself from the harsh winter, he had worn a Ranger-issued winter jacket that Leon had gratefully provided him with. His power was greatly diminished as a human, and thus, Arceus had decided to send a human who had fought in the Great War (codenamed the Uprising fights) to help the Dragon/Water-type with standards and pieces of advice to help them buy their desired presents.

"This jacket… you're going to let me keep it?" Palkia asked, having grown fond of the comfortable yet durable and semi-bulletproof jacket (at least when hit by regular, smaller caliber bullets) that was the standard issue complement of the Ranger uniform for those who served in the colder climates.

"It's all yours. I have surplus pieces of clothing like that back at home and they are gathering dust for starters anyways," Leon shrugged with a friendly smile.

"…is this my Christmas gift?" Palkia scowled at him, wishing to receive presents that were far more impressive than a mere piece of clothing. "You're cheap."

The Ranger snorted. "No. But it's one of them! You have to be a bit more grateful for what people give to you, even if it's just a rock. At least that means they care for you enough to even give you something!"

The Earth was still in a state of reconstruction after Donald Zetta's syndicate had laid waste to the majority of the planet with their conquests and brutal campaigns. This, however, did not ruin or damper the spirit of Christmas for Pokémon and humans alike as they saw the holiday season as a way to get over the past and focus on a better and peaceful future ahead of them.

Leon was a Pokémon Ranger, but he too held a secret only known by other Legendary Pokémon and few of his friends; being a Latios hybrid from the last battle, he carried on his duties as an enforcer of peace and justice. He sported the Almia-issued Pokémon Ranger Corps uniform, complete with rough-terrain shoes, a pair of coal-coloured combats and a T-shirt of matching colour, all coupled with a red-coloured short-sleeved jacket that had gold-coloured collars and white ends. The cold weather was no stranger to the Corporal-ranked Ranger. He had served in multiple theaters and thus, he had developed a type of immunity to all kinds of weather unless it was really extreme. He never really placed his Latios form to the test all that much - he believed the honour of being a Legendary Pokémon belonged to Ash Ketchum, a trainer he befriended during the Uprising conflicts. Having been stuck with the power, he only went into his transformation state only when it was necessary.

"_Too bad Raine and Zephyr couldn't make it. They were both outstanding partners during the conflicts, but they're busy with other restoration projects. Riley is helping with Sinnoh's reconstruction with Cynthia too, but it's their homeland. How can I object to that?"_ Leon thought. Raine, being the renowned trainer she was, placed her efforts in using her prize money from tournaments as donations to those who were stricken greatly by the war. The enigmatic teen known as Zephyr aided in the recovery of Levis Town and parts of Unova ever since it was razed to flames and ashes by the UAAF. The dainty and small town was seeing repopulation and re-growth, but it would take years before the town was going to recover fully after the forsaken fate it had undergone. Riley and Cynthia participated in humanitarian missions alongside with other Rangers as the veterans from the previous conflict brought relief to the stricken regions of Sinnoh after the war ended.

"I have to apologize that I'm taking precious time away from you to spend with your mother," Palkia sulked, knowing that it was Christmas and that Leon's mother probably wished to have her son be home for the holidays with her. "Christmas is a season where you're supposed to be with your family, and this is particularly true considering you always travel the world in your Ranger campaigns and missions."

The black-haired boy smiled. "Don't worry. Sceptile is keeping her company. She understands, even though I sort of lied to her that I went away to celebrate the season with my friends."

"Haha, feel the need to keep your allegiance with us a secret?"

"I guess. I don't want to shock her anyways. She's getting close to her fifties."

The two promptly passed by a small café before Leon took notice of Palkia's stomach grumbling extremely loudly. The Pokémon Ranger had already noticed his friend continuously whining in his mind that he wanted food (since his telepathic abilities as a Latios hybrid allowed him to do so) but it was only this time where the earthquake-like rumbling of Arceus's third most important General (much to Palkia's chagrin and dismay, but Dialga and Giratina were overall better leaders compared to him) that finally made the twenty-year-old human/Pokémon hybrid decide that it was dinnertime.

"Come on, I'll get you some food," Leon said as he pointed towards a nearby café called Stellar Cup, an establishment known for its beverages and snack-sized sandwiches, salads, donuts and other small food items.

"What about Christmas shopping?" Palkia questioned, worried that the shops would close.

"They don't close until like…-" The human paused for a moment before glancing at his wristwatch adorned on his right arm. "-ten o'clock. And it's only five in the evening; don't let the dark sky fool you. Daylight savings time can really alter the mood of day, trust me on that. Now let's get some grub, because I'm a bit hungry too."

Palkia raised an eyebrow, wondering if his friend would, once again, pay for his meal like he did this afternoon. "You'll pay?"

"Of course. It's on me. Don't worry about paying me back. Money doesn't matter especially when you have friends that are legendaries and happen to treat you like their own brother, sister, or child." Leon stepped inside the small restaurant, where some shoppers were taking a quick break with small snacks such as donuts, muffins, and a variety of hot drinks. "Now come on. You're looking awkward standing out there like that!"

Palkia followed him speechlessly. He couldn't complain though as Pokémon Rangers were known to be the most cool-headed individuals on the planet, no matter what the situation was. From massive riots to chaotic theaters of war to shopping crises, they could handle it all with a cool head and be home for dinner without a scratch.

"_Too bad not all of that was true. At least Lord Arceus made sure all those who bravely sacrificed their lives in duty and honor were put to rest peacefully," _he pondered, remembering how much men and women the Pokémon Ranger Corps lost during the war against the United Aerospace Armed Forces/Team Rocket alliance and their gigantic war machine.

He just wondered how his sisters - Dialga and Giratina - were doing with their side of the Christmas shopping. For one thing, he was almost certain that the Renegade Goddess would give him nothing more than a lump of coal, but Leon encouraged him to look positive. As a matter of fact, the Ranger had taken note of Palkia's somewhat rude behavior as the main reason why Giratina and some goddesses treated him in such a sour fashion.

"I'm sure if you appreciated her a bit more, she'd be more kind to you. I'll be honest with you - you aren't the most proper mannered representative out there, and minus more points for being an Arcean General," Leon scolded good-naturedly.

"How can I? She always gives me the cold shoulder. At least Dialga gets some respect from her due to her wisecracking nature. That's not saying much as both of my sisters get into more fights than you burp in a week. That and I'm a god of war! I'm supposed to be rough and bad mannered, so my enemies will fear me!" Palkia groaned, pressing his head against his head. For one thing, the only beings he did not want to get into a conflict with were either his sisters or Arceus himself.

The Ranger gave a small chuckle at his metaphor. "You'll be okay. Just keep your head up."

The lineup was fairly short, as it took less than a minute until it was Leon and Palkia's turn to order their food.

"Welcome to Stellar Cup!" the young lady greeted Leon with what was possibly the most cheery yet obnoxious voice to him. "How can I help you?"

"Uh, yeah, give me two hot chocolates and four chocolate-glazed donuts." The Corporal-ranked Ranger could have sworn the girl's voice would have burst his eardrums as turned to Palkia. "Is that fine with you?"

"Sure. We might have to order seconds though. Is that fine with you? I don't want to act too much like a freeloader here," the Spatial God informed him, unsure.

"Treat's on me, don't fuss about it."

The pair was soon seated by the tables that overlooked the busy streets, with the sky snowing slightly as small flakes of white snow slowly descended from the sky like leaves separating from a tree during a windy autumn afternoon. Throughout the time that passed, Palkia could notice Leon staring quietly into his hot chocolate, as if there was something- or someone -inside telling him something. _"Hope my buds are resting peacefully in the afterlife. They didn't deserve this. Most importantly, they left me behind-"_

"…still thinking about that incident?" Palkia asked quietly, remembering that this was the anniversary that the Ranger had lost his entire squad on a mission in Oblivia.

Leon looked up with somewhat teary eyes. "You knew? Or are you just reading my mind again?"

"I'm the God of Space. I see all. …I'm gratefully sorry. I know we couldn't do much, but… those souls chose to rest in peace. It is not in our rights to force them back to the living, as that would be a direct violation of several policies. I'm sure Arceus and everyone else, myself included, would rather prefer to see them resting in peace. I hope you understand. But if there's anything that I can do for you… don't hesitate to ask. You've helped us more than the combined arms of a billion humans that don't even know we exist to begin with," Palkia intoned hesitantly, trying to comfort the Ranger. He wasn't exactly too good at cheering others up, but he seemed to have the responsibility of doing so here.

"It's alright. Good men and women come and go in wars. It's the course of nature. Lieutenant Havoc understands this perfectly, that's for sure," he muttered. If there was an inspirational figure that he looked up to, it was the legendary Ranger of the PRC that won more battles than any other person in the organization. "I just wonder how the old dog is doing. He's turning forty-three this year and from the looks of it, he'll be retiring soon."

"That early?" The Water/Dragon-type asked.

"Retirement in the Rangers comes faster than office work or those other action-lacking occupations. He's probably lost more friends than me over the years he's served."

Palkia knew what he meant. He too, had lost many brothers, sisters, friends, family, and companions during the times when Earth was nothing more than stellar debris floating in space, but intergalactic wars raged throughout the cosmos between the deities and various antagonistic factions that roamed the universe, hungering for power and domination.

* * *

><p><strong>Ranger HQ, Almia<strong>

A knock came from Lieutenant Havoc's door, and the soldier looked up to see who was requesting to come into his office. Placing his pen down on the table and breathing deeply, he granted the request for the individual to enter. "Come in."

A young-looking secretary, no older than the age of twenty-five and bearing the rank of Gunnery Sergeant stood at his door with a sunny smile on her soft-looking visage. "Lieutenant, you're due for a meeting at 1700 hours."

"Roger that," the battle-scarred veteran huffed tiredly as he shifted through some of the stacks of paper that were scattered on his desk, ranging from forms requiring signatures or reports that were in need of being completed as soon as possible. "Tell them I might be late as I still have some paperwork to take care of."

"Will do. They might not be too pleased though."

"Tell them to put a sock in it and mention that this overdue work belongs to them, not me."

The secretary didn't say a word in response as she disappeared through his office doors, leaving the legendary Pokémon Ranger to his own room cursing to himself for talking in such a disrespectful attitude.

"_Good job, Havoc. You just had to open your mouth like a rude bum at the local tavern. Real smooth there…"_

The middle-aged Lieutenant in his early forties sighed with the busy schedule that was burdened on his shoulders. Even in peacetimes, there was no time for leaves, vacations, or leisure times. He looked forward to spending some quality Christmas time with Ash, Arceus, and their friends and comrades alike, but the Ranger High Command wasn't allowing that for many reasons.

His real name was Nick Seymour Parker, although many called him Havoc as his code name. After years of usage, his friends had begun to call him Havoc as opposed to his real name, but this didn't bother him in the slightest.

The world had been stricken by one of the greatest wars in human history that practically left five billion people dead, with the human race having been driven to the point of extinction due to the bombardment from the UAAF's bioweapons and experimental arsenals. It was only through the intervention of Arceus and the gods and goddesses that served the Primal God which saved them, as humanity's military forces were practically helpless against the combined might of the UAAF, Team Rocket, the Renegade Rangers, and the many subdivisions that provided support for the triple alliance, such as Donald Zetta's last troops straight from Phaaze in the form of poisoned Deoxys soldiers and warriors. Havoc was among those few men who stood out distinctively, having saw action in some of the hottest combat zones during the Uprising war and lived to talk about it. The united force of the Arceans, along with the scattered and demoralized human soldiers, launched a bloody counteroffensive against Giovanni, Donald Zetta, Flynn Dacote, and their associates in a maddening war that left 80% of the world in ruins.

However, he was not recognized by the Ranger High Command given his recklessness, and while he faced discharge, the legendaries, Palkia and Zekrom in particular, threatened to "rip the spines out of the bureaucratic bastards should they attempt to punish a rightful hero" should they attempt to fire Havoc or put him on death row. Because of that, High Command did not promote or discharge him - he was given three years of probation from any promotions.

While Palkia and Zekrom believed his honour and bravery throughout the war was enough to net him a seat in Arceus's inner circle as a human advisor, Havoc chose to stay on Earth due to his diplomatic relations that he had with other countries and officials. The gruff and charismatic, yet foul-mannered Ranger commando was a very influential figure in governmental relations with other nations, especially the United States in particular.

Having believed he wasn't ready yet for such a task, the aging soldier knew the likes of Ash Ketchum deserved that honour more. He did promise Zekrom, though, that he would be there once his time came.

"_I look forward to seeing you there, soldier. We will welcome you with open arms even though humanity didn't show much appreciation for your daring contributions to the war."_

"_I do too. Save a spot for me, but I have unfinished business to take care on Earth first. For starters, the world needs me as a representative for the governments all around."_

_"I respect your choice, Havoc. See you soon, Marine."  
><em>

"What a bunch of jokers," Havoc chuckled to himself quietly as he kicked back in his office located on the eighteenth floor of the Pokémon Ranger Corps HQ. "That's the first time someone has ever called me a hero since my old buddies passed away." He eyed Helly, his Houndoom, sleeping peacefully on a plush carpet laid out on the floor before he cracked a small smile at his faithful companion and partner.

He had his fair share of losses of friends and close compatriots in the Rangers, like any other recognized soldier in the PRC, along with much recognition in the forms of medals, awards, and other distinctions. However, none of that mattered to him. It was the experiences that he shared with his friends, ranging from human kids and soldiers to gods and goddesses alike.

"_I won't be showing up at the private party that Arceus is throwing, but… oh well, I wish them all a merry Christmas. That magnificent bastard Leon is going to party all night while I'm going to do all this bullshit work… who am I kidding? He deserves a nice break after the Uprising conflicts!" _he thought before he rose out of his seat and made sure that Helly was sleeping well and that there was enough Pokéchow and water to sustain her appetite for the dinner hour, as he knew the meeting was going to take some time. Once that was done he departed from his office and headed off to the meeting.

As he headed towards the meeting, he just imagined how the lovebirds, Ash and Latias, were doing. It had been two years and yet, he hadn't heard anything from them. Though he found the relationship between the two seemingly awkward, he didn't really have a problem or throw a big fuss about it.

* * *

><p><strong>Saffron City, Kanto<strong>

"Hurry it up, Dialga!" an excited boy cheered as he paced himself towards the mall entrance, making sure not to slip on any ice that was concealed under the sheets of snow that were around 3 inches in terms of depth.

"I'm coming, hold your horses," a female voice responded patiently as the individual walked over to join her companion. "Can't you be a little more patient?"

"No way! I have to make sure that new Metroid game isn't sold out!" Jimmy laughed, impatient to buy the newest game that involved Samus Aran's dangerous space adventures.

"_This kid would have been perfect for Palkia, as they're both mutually excited for anything that's big and festive. Why couldn't I have gone with Leon instead?" _Dialga mentally bemoaned while she shook her head in disappointment and absurdity, as they were here solely for the purpose of getting presents for their friends. She reminded him, "…you are here to buy presents for _others_, not for yourself. Get your facts straight."

The young Pokémon Trainer suddenly realized he had gotten so sidetracked with what he was really supposed to do. "…Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me. I remember that I have to buy that present for Ash and his friends, but… I want that game so much!"

"I'm sure someone else would get it for you. Ash, Leon, Palkia and Zekrom are particularly notable gaming maniacs," she murmured, remembering the times when the two legendaries would burn countless hours during their breaks playing the latest fighting games, such as Legendary Fighters or Super Smash Deities Brawl.

Jimmy was a fairly standard-looking trainer in terms of outfit, as he wore a yellow and black colored trainer's cap that was often drawn backwards, while his clothing consisted of a pair of yellow shorts and a hoodie that was red and white-coloured in coordination. He stood relatively average, being around 5'5" in height. To complement his clothing for winter purposes, he swapped out his yellow shorts for brown-colored jeans. He had messy black-grayish hair while his eyes were predominantly black.

It was Dialga that stood out along with the trainer. Her human appearance was absolutely gorgeous and stunning in the standards of a male looking for a date, which prompted many men, boys, and male teenagers to stare at her with a state of infatuation, and those with girlfriends or wives were slapped across the face humorously. Some even considered Jimmy to be her date for the evening, but the trainer simply brushed it off while hiding his blushes. The Temporal Pokémon while disguised as a human had long, flowing blue hair that was at shoulder length, while her glittering red eyes complemented her perfect white skin. Her clothes mainly consisted of a pair of winter boots that were silver and navy blue-coloured to keep with her traditional Pokémon body design and colouration, a white short-sleeved shirt that hugged her body perfectly along with a black-coloured skirt that was slightly shorter than the length of her knee. To keep her body and legs comfortable in the freezing temperatures, she had a warm, blue-coloured winter fur coat that felt like velvet along with knee-high black socks that she adorned on her feet. A gentle aura of perfume emanated from her body, generating a pleasing scent that resembled a combination of oranges and lime.

"You think this outfit makes me look fat?" the Dragon/Steel-type Pokémon questioned. She wanted to look her best, but not because she was vain about her appearances. Like many of the other goddesses, especially Ho-Oh in particular, she wanted to put on a good impression for her friends and companions with her looks and caring yet serious attitude.

"It looks perfect on you," Jimmy simply answered, not even bothering to take a look at her figure. In his mind, Dialga was the perfect model of a cute and charming girl in winter clothing and if he wasn't embarrassed about it, he'd certainly ask her out for a date.

"Aww, really?" she gushed charmingly in reply, fully aware of the fact that Jimmy had a silly crush on her but decided not to say anything about it until the boy admitted to it. "Care to give me some reasons why? I'd love to hear them!"

"Yes, you're pretty beyond belief! Now quit asking me every five minutes!" the trainer retorted, somewhat annoyed.

"…wish I was with someone more psychologically mature instead, like that insecure Ranger Leon or even that rebellious Havoc," she mused, rolling her eyes.

Just like Leon and Palkia, Jimmy and Dialga had their own stories to tell about regarding the Uprising conflicts that they too participated. Formerly known as Krakatoa, Jimmy was a Pokémon hybrid, just like Ash and Leon, but unlike the other two, he was stuck in a permanent state as a Typhlosion. It was only after the battle that he was granted his old human body back, while Krakatoa benefited even after the separation. He was perfectly capable of human speech, not to mention being able to walk in a bipedal fashion. Because of his unwavering courage, support and friendship with Ash, Jimmy and Krakatoa were considered heralded individuals of Arceus himself, and to his luck, he was assigned with Dialga for the Christmas shopping procedure.

"How's your Typhlosion?" the red-eyed goddess asked sweetly, smiling at the young human companion she accompanied with for the night. "Has the hot-headed Typhlosion kid cooled down now that everything's back to normal and the UAAF, along with all of its affiliates, are finally discarded into the trash bin of history?"

"Oh, he's in great shape, thanks for asking," the Pokémon Trainer replied. "He's currently back in Alto Mare taking care of Bianca, Lorenzo and Latios. I don't blame him. My Pokémon has forged a close bond with them, especially Bianca."

During his adventures as a Pokémon, Jimmy was Bianca's primary fighting Pokémon, watching after her and protecting the young girl wherever she went. When Christmas came around, the aging Lorenzo chose not to join the legendary gathering that Arceus organized, as his body was beginning to deteriorate given his age. While Jimmy wanted to go, Krakatoa, Latios and Bianca did not. He had to go by himself, but was nevertheless pleased that he was going to see some old friends again, such as Ash and Leon, in particular.

"I understand. It would have been exciting to see them again, especially Lachlan," Dialga commented. "He's really proven himself as an exceptional Pokémon worthy of being one of our inner circle members."

"I don't know about that…" Jimmy whistled innocently, rolling his eyes while trying to hide his blushes as he witnessed a group of three Pokémon Trainers laugh at him.

The Supreme Goddess of Time scowled at the immature actions of the teenagers. _"What an immature bunch. What's wrong with a young man shopping with a girl? If anything, it proves how sweet and caring they are, willing to sacrifice their time being with someone." _Dismissing the prospect of vaporizing the teenagers with a powerful Roar of Time or Aura Sphere, she smiled in a charming way as the goddess leaned over to her human companion, holding onto his hand. "Oh, what's the matter? Embarrassed that you're accompanied by such a beautiful girl that's wearing some nice-smelling perfume?"

"No!" Jimmy shot up in defense. "I'm…was the popular guy back in school with the girls! Why would I be embarrassed?"

"Your blush, silly," the Temporal Goddess giggled as she rubbed his cheeks playfully. This only made the young Pokémon Trainer's face to glow red even more. "It's dead obvious."

"Come on Dialga, stop embarrassing me! You know it's tough for me to adjust considering this is the first time I've walked around with a goddess," Jimmy explained. "If anything, Ash should get the honour. And can you please let go of my hand already?"

"You know Ash is busy with Latias and Giratina, right?" Dialga chimed. "Alright, alright. We're both single so I don't know why you're so worried." She released her grip on his hand. "I thought you were cold anyways."

"Didn't you like the other kid?"

"Who? Leon? Kellyn?"

Jimmy nodded. "Uh, yeah, one of them. You two fought pretty close. Both are Pokémon Rangers too, meaning that he would have prepared to sacrifice his life for the better of all of us, especially a god or goddess."

"We're friends. The Ranger's too dense, he's worried he might lose his job if High Command finds out he's dating the Goddess of Time itself," she grumbled and rolled her eyes. "He's a cute one for a soldier, though! Too bad he doesn't look interested in the bit. Kellyn's cute too, but I think he's taken. I'm not too positively sure about that prospect though."

While Jimmy was a very mature person when it came to Pokémon battling and other issues, he was absolutely awful with social factors, especially with girls since Krakatoa did a better job with that due to his strong, confident nature and bravery in life and all of its challenges. "Aren't you with Palkia?"

"Uh, we're siblings, if you don't remember that prospect. But in general…I usually don't get along with him." Dialga fidgeted her hands nervously, hefting her purse over her right shoulder as she tried to find a reasonable explanation. "Nah. I'm sure Giratina has a thing for Ash or two, but she's just not willing to show it because that would break Latias's heart. Palkia's just uninterested at the moment so whatever. He cares more about smashing things using his Spatial Sabers and impressing Father with his combat skills. Before I continue, I have to thank you for being so kind for accompanying me here," she offered him her thanks.

"Anything for a pretty lady!" Jimmy exclaimed, but quickly fell short as he realized how stupid that statement was. _"That was ridiculous."_

As the majority of gods and goddesses had telepathic and mind-reading powers (or just about anything that was of a psychic element) Dialga was able to trace Jimmy's thoughts with little to no difficulty. "That was a kind compliment. I haven't had someone say that to me in over 10 billion years," she responded before giving the trainer a cute-looking face - which was ironic, considering her Pokémon form was outright _fearsome_ in the eyes of many, even to other legendaries.

Hoping to change the subject, Jimmy quickly realized they were at the newly-opened department store of Saffron City. "…okay, we're here! Let's go!" He was about to dash inside, but several excited children blocked his way as the youths tried to all fit into the revolving doors at once. "Aw, come on!"

"Patience, Jimmy," Dialga advised as she caught up to him slowly, clearly not in a hurry. "Time is on our side, if you know what I mean."

"Geez, but what if they don't have anything more to sell? You know how fast the products they sell here go out of stock?" The impatient Pokémon Trainer yelled, drawing the attention of many.

"Christmas is two weeks away, so quit worrying! There's always time, especially when I'm here," the Temporal Goddess laughed outrageously. Looking at her human visage, she was beginning to show a liking of her body. She just wondered if the other human trustees of Arceus himself would have liked it.

Getting into the store was only a matter of lining up and waiting with passivity (although on Jimmy's part, he felt more impatient than waiting at the bathroom as his bladder was about to explode) as security guards had taken a liberty of allotting a certain number of people into the store at a time. This was to prevent overcrowding and a gigantic influx of people that would literally tear the store down in a state of dismay, disorganization, and fighting among those who wanted the gifts. Jimmy and Dialga lined up as they waited, and time passed as shoppers were allowed in and out of the department store that was divided into seven stories. It practically sold everything that one could imagine - from clothes to video games to washing machines to Pokémon products, it had it all. The price tags came cheap, fortunately, but that was mainly because it was the holiday season at the moment. When it was their turn, Jimmy bolted into the store like a Growlithe going after Pokémon food, which left the two security guards wide-eyed.

"Is that your date?" one of them asked.

"No," Dialga denied. "Just a friend who's doing some shopping with me."

The same security guard decided to take this chance to strike up a date for a party he was attending. "Well, do you want to come to this party that my friends-"

"No. I'm already taken," the Temporal Goddess answered bluntly almost immediately before walking off and catching up with the Pokémon Trainer. This left the rejected man to sniffle in sadness, which led to his partner to gawk at him in laughter.

"Haha, stinks to be you!"

"Oh be quiet," The man groaned to his companion. "It's not like you can do any better." This caused his friend to shut up, as he too lacked a date for the party they were going to.

"_If Arceus allowed me to, I'd give that kid a serious whipping for his impatient self. How can he even leave me behind like that?" _Dialga caught up with Jimmy with some difficulties, as she had to limit her powers as a human, and thus, she couldn't perform the energy-exhausting tasks that she would be normally able to do effortlessly in her Pokémon form. She wasn't too athletic either, and her selection of clothing only dampened her efforts to catch up with the Pokémon Trainer even more. After she was able to find the overexcited human, she was not surprised one but that he was browsing in the video games section.

"JIMMY!" she screamed as she angrily stormed over to the trainer. "That's the last time you leave me back there!"

An alarmed Jimmy turned around and witnessed the Temporal Goddess stomping angrily towards him. "…sorry Dialga, but-"

"No buts. But I'll forgive you this time. You need a lesson or two in patience." She placed her hands on her hips like a scolding mother, shooting a disapproving look at the young human with her red irises. "I'd slap you hard if you were my boyfriend, but… I don't want you to feel too hurt since you voluntarily chose to come along with me."

"Yeah…, I understand," the trainer apologetically spoke.

After a small lecture from the Dragon/Steel-type, Jimmy had asked the store clerk whether or not the two of the newest video games that he wished to purchase (and of course, play during the Christmas party with his friends and other humans that were lucky enough to be acquainted to be Arceus's human trustees) - Pokémon Stadium 3 and Extermination Warrior 4 - were in stock, but to his disappointment, they were sold out. His chance of getting Ash and Leon their favorite and most wanted games, respectively, was out the window.

"Sorry sir, we're sold out. They're the hottest games of the season but I'm afraid we don't have them. They keep selling like hotcakes that we're not able to keep up with the supply and demand," the store clerk explained, hoping the young man would understand. "If it helps, you can place a preorder ticket here and we'll make sure that you'll have a copy reserved for you."

"Aw, come on!" Jimmy whined loudly. "I thought we'd be able to get those two games in time for the party!" This prompted Dialga to shake her head in disagreement. He was getting all whiny and upset just because of a _video game_? If anything, it would take a worldwide catastrophic disaster to even make her be remotely stressed to a level like Jimmy's.

"Sir, like I said, would you like to leave a preorder ticket?" the store clerk repeated the offer. "It's a 75 per cent guarantee that you'll be able to get the game you want."

Jimmy sulked, but Dialga placed a hand on his shoulder with a smile. "It's alright, Jimmy." she assured him softly. "If it helps…, I'll make it up to you." She turned her attention to the clerk, reached into her purse, and paid the fee to preorder the games. "Yes, I'd like to preorder the games please, but make sure they are reserved and available within the next week or so. Otherwise…, I'll have this store closed down, as I happen to be a Pokémon League representative and an advisor for Cynthia herself."

"Uh…yes, ma'am! As you requested!" The panicked store clerk immediately made the needs necessary to ensure the game was preordered. He knew Pokémon League officials had a large saying in many fields, including governmental matters.

"Glad to see things are seen my way," Dialga finished with a pleased grin.

The two were promptly on their way out of the store empty-handed, but Dialga's "threat" had ensured Jimmy would get the presents he needed before Christmas hit.

"Was that necessary?" the trainer asked the Temporal Goddess confusingly.

"Hey, anything to cheer you up," she responded sweetly. "Besides, we _did_ work alongside Cynthia during the Uprising conflicts, even if she was a Pokémon at that time." It felt weird that one of the most renowned female Champions alive on the face of the Earth at that time was a Pokémon, but with a little help from Arceus after the conflict, she was back to her old self again. Like Krakatoa, her prized and fierce Garchomp gained the ability to chatter in the human language as opposed to incomprehensible grunts, snarls and growls, in terms of the human perspective anyways.

"Just one thing," Jimmy wondered aloud. "Are you actually human? You know, only Laia, Latias and Latios are able to achieve that ability as far as I know…"

The blue-haired goddess raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask that?"

"…just curious. It's amazing how your kinds are capable of transforming into humans," the trainer said in awe.

"Of course I am!" Dialga spoke in a silly-sounding tone. "We're deities. I'm fully human, from the top of my hair all the way down to my toenails. Laia's a master of that and of course, way better than me in terms of maintaining a stable form, but I can say she enjoys being a human just as much as Alto Mare's Latias," she explained, referencing to the ascended mother of Latias and Latios who had also played a pivotal role in the conflict against the United Aerospace Armed Forces. "We have all your functions, but that also means we have to go to the bathroom more often." She then laughed a bit, wondering why humans needed to use the bathroom every few hours or so when the deities themselves rarely even needed to expel their waste given their advanced body structures and anatomies.

"It's just weird," Jimmy said truthfully. "That you're a gigantic metallic dragon goddess yet you are capable of turning into a human. It's really fascinating."

"Life's full of funny things," She replied in agreement. "So, are you hungry? It's getting late and we should get some dinner."

The black-haired trainer was about to speak up until his stomach rumbled and he felt as if someone was puncturing a gigantic hole in his gut.

"I guess that's a yes," Dialga giggled. "Come on. We'll find a nice place to sit down and eat."

While Palkia didn't mind eating at a simple café, his sister was radically different. She was a Pokémon that lived by the highest standards possible but of course, attempted to not spoil herself with her luxuries. After all, most of her material possessions were earned with her own strength and will and of course, this made the things she owned to be more of a symbol to her testament as opposed to objects acquired through simple desires of wanting. She chose a classy diner that had a magnificent view of the Saffron City skyline, and while Jimmy objected to eating at such an expensive restaurant, Dialga had offered to pay for it all. Unlike Leon, Jimmy was not a very rich trainer but even then, he was known for his generosity and unwillingness to accept extremely expensive gifts.

"Uh, Dialga, are we really eating at such a place?" he nervously asked as the Temporal Goddess forcefully dragged him over to the establishment entitled "The Deoxys Cosmos". It didn't help that they were eating at a place that had the namesake of an enemy they fought against during the Uprising wars. "It looks terribly expensive!"

"It's the best I can repay you after you so voluntarily chose to come out and shop with me. This means the bill is mine so don't worry," she voiced in reply. "Now come on, you're making me look like as if I'm forcing you to jail!" Many passing people were giving the couple awkward looks, but many dismissed it as a first-time date between the two.

It took a little convincing, but it wasn't long before Jimmy finally gave in and decided to eat with the dragon goddess at the posh (and extremely expensive-looking) restaurant.

"Welcome to the Deoxys Cosmos!" the waiter, dressed up in an expensive-looking outfit, greeted the two. "Can I help you?"

"Table for two please. I would appreciate it if you managed to give us the seat with best view of the city," Dialga answered without hesitation.

The waiter nodded as he pulled out two menus and led Dialga and Jimmy to the requested dining spot. "Right this way."

Seated by the window that gave the pair a glamorous overview of the city, Jimmy spent more of his time overlooking the Saffron City skyline than actually deciding what to order for dinner. On the other hand, it was clear to his companion that he would have enjoyed it, even if it came with a ludicrous price.

"So, like the view?" Dialga asked.

"Heck yes! There are rarely any opportunities to get such a view, except for the time where we flew to Alto Mare," Jimmy exclaimed but realized they were here for dinner, not sightseeing. "Oh, yeah, I'll try to decide what to eat now…"

"_He may not be the brightest, but he's just as friendly as Ash or any pure-hearted Ranger that fought in the wars,"_ Dialga wondered happily in her wise mind. "Hey Jimmy… can you help me with something?"

"Hmm?" The humble trainer looked up from his menu. "Sure, what do you need?"

"Well, what does Leon like?" she asked, unsure. "I haven't really talked to the kid."

The black-haired Pokémon Trainer wasn't exactly sure of how to answer the question, but he nevertheless did so to the best of his abilities. "Haha, well, as far as I know, he's a Ranger. You can give him the biggest cake or amphibious assault hovercraft and he'd be happy. But he values his friends more than anything else. Perhaps if you spend the night with him, he'll be happy. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I was just wondering of getting him something nice. Remember last year Christmas? No one gave the poor kid anything, not to mention the majority forgot about him to begin with."

"Well, he was away on duty. You can't blame him for that." Last year's Christmas was radically different, as few attended the party that Arceus threw mainly for personal reasons. The Ranger himself had to participate in cleanup operations in Oblivia, cleaning out the last of the UAAF forces holed up on the small island archipelago. By the time he came back from his tour of duty, New Year's Day had already passed, and all he got were some leftovers from the buffet. "We can't say he's a kid obsessed with his job, but it's his duty. Can't blame him for it. He has a mother and several Pokémon back at home that he needs to support."

Dialga placed a hand on her chin and breathed softly, wondering what would be the ideal gift for the one individual that was always busy with his occupation as a Ranger. "Then I'll have to make it up to him this year around."

* * *

><p><em><strong>That's part 1! Part 2 will be out sometime next week.<strong>_

_**-Soldier of the Future**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Alright, here's part two to boot! Note that there is Altoshipping in this, so…well, like it or hate it; this is part two of my Christmas special. While this could have been updated earlier, my beta was delayed slightly, not to mention I flew back to Hong Kong for Christmas and New Year's, so I won't be back until the 7th. Expect me to be less active than usual also, but I'll try to check at least once a day from my cousin's laptop. I'll try to answer to any PMs and reviews to the best of my abilities, but don't expect an instant response from me.**_

_**I've added names for the Latias and Latios from Alto Mare. Their names are Larissa and Lachlan, respectively.**_

_**Anyways, enjoy part two of my special!**_

* * *

><p><strong>We Wish you a Legendary Christmas! (Part 2)<strong>

**LaRousse City, Shopping Sector**

With Dialga and Palkia having accompanied their other human allies to malls in other regions, Giratina had to tag along with Ash, along with Larissa (the real name of the Latias from Alto Mare) and the Eon dragoness's mother, to the high-tech and futuristic metropolis known as LaRousse City. Located in the northern region of Hoenn, this city was known for its environmentally friendly power sources and waste disposal units, its advanced infrastructure such as moving sidewalks and AI-controlled tour guides (affectionately called block-bots by the brilliant designers who came up with the model themselves due to their cube-like structure and shape). It was a popular destination of vacation for those who wanted to experience living in the future of humanity's empire cities. However, it was often the Battle Tower that drew aspiring Pokémon Trainers there to compete against other top-of-the-line trainers for fame and glory. While it wasn't part of the Pokémon League, it did boast some incredibly nice prizes for the victors and runner-ups, such as rare TMs or ribbons/medals.

"It's a beautiful and environmentally friendly settlement, despite its futuristic design," Laia commented as they walked out of the train station upon arrival. Pollutant-free power generators ranging from solar panels to windmills to the new seawater reactor were the only types constructed in the city, as to give LaRousse the reputation of a green city of the future.

"Just wait till you see some of the more interesting attractions, such as the Battle Tower!" Ash spoke up confidently, eager to visit the featured destination for any Pokémon Trainer that came to the city.

Giratina knew the trainer was dying to fight experienced trainers yet again, but then, just about anyone who knew Ash exceptionally well meant this was more obvious than knowing that the winter consists of cold weather. She observed, "Isn't someone eager to battle again?"

"Definitely!" Ash voiced out excitedly.

"_We're supposed to be here for shopping, silly Ash! Have you forgotten already?"_ Larissa reminded him mentally.

"Oh…, yeah," the young and enthusiastic trainer groaned in disappointment. "But I'm hungry! Let's get some food first!"

Although the city was invaded and occupied by the UAAF for quite some time, it was liberated during the final stages of the Uprising war and was rebuilt rather fast, as it held an important Ranger base like Alto Mare's Ranger Naval Reserve. Like any major city in the world, it boasted a large-sized shopping mall that had its own slew of moving sidewalks and automated refreshment-serving machines. It still had the traditional human-operated restaurants for those who weren't exactly tech-savvy or familiar with advanced technology. Settling down in the large food court within the shopping complex of the mall, they decided to get some food to ease their hunger. While the dragon girls had anticipated they would be finished quickly, Ash made it an entirely different prospect.

Unfortunately for all the goddesses that came with him, the Pokémon Trainer was pigging out with enough food to feed a small squad of soldiers for a day.

"Would it be right for me to assume that this would be Ash's favourite time of the day?" Giratina pondered aloud as she observed Ash munch down his fifth double-original hamburger with a complement of bacon, cheese, mustard, ketchup, and pickles. "The three of us are waiting just because he didn't eat enough for dinner? Arceus better give me a good apology for accompanying him here just to see him eat like a Piloswine!"

"_You bet!"_ Larissa answered cheerfully as she took a sip from her cup of hot chocolate, tasting the drink with delight. _"When there's food, always expect Ash to be there!"_

"Well, might have you forgotten that we're supposed to be shopping for the upcoming party, not stuffing our faces and gaining excessive weight!" the Renegade Goddess reminded the group. She wasn't hungry one bit, and even if she was, she was constantly grossed out by the swine-like burping and belching noises that Ash was making.

"It's all right, Tina," Laia spoke soothingly, a warm and loving expression displayed on her sweet-looking face. "We've got plenty of time. Besides, my feet are aching after all that walking."

"Don't remind me. I hate it when everyone looks at us awkwardly," she spat out in a disgusted manner, somewhat uncomfortable that just about every passing male would stare at the human forms of the Eon dragonesses but not her. This didn't bother her greatly - for one thing, she liked to extinguish the life force of whoever stared at her funny.

"Alright! Now that hits the spot, time for seconds!" Ash announced as he swallowed down his fifth burger and proceeded to eat another one with another bite, emitting an enormous belch from his messy mouth moments later.

This was the last straw for Giratina, but she made sure to control her anger. After all, it was Ash's favourite time of the day, and that she had to respect him even if he was performing outrageous actions. "You're _still_ not full even after five rounds of burgers and fries? Even Father eats less than you in a day's worth of meals!"

Ignoring her statement, Ash waved his burger a bit after realizing it didn't have enough ketchup. "Can I get a little more ketchup, please?" the trainer asked, with his lips stained with condiments. Due to his obliviousness, it was only the female legendaries that accompanied him (along with every passing human in the shopping centre) that took notice of his messy face.

Giratina simply groaned at Ash's actions in response, shaking her head in a combination of dismay and disgust.

"Please clean your mouth first," Laia reprimanded the trainer as she handed him a napkin, and Ash, realizing the mess that he was making on his face, wiped his lips clean.

Larissa giggled mentally at her love's endless glutton that never seemed to be satisfied, no matter how much food was provided to please the urge to eat so much._"Oh, Ash! You'll get a heart attack at this rate!"_

"I wouldn't be surprised one bit from all the fat he's swallowing down," Giratina added, rolling her eyes. "I'm not reviving him if that happens."

Unlike Jimmy or Leon, Ash did not accompany just one deity during the shopping sprees. He accompanied _three_ during his shopping spree, but that was mainly because for three separate reasons. First of all, he was the closest to Giratina in terms of trust, as the Ghost/Dragon-type had a somewhat bitter view on humanity but Ash held a special place in her heart since the young trainer had rescued her from – ironically - her own death on one occasion. This made Arceus come to the decision that the young teenage trainer would be the best choice as a human companion. On the other hand, Larissa only came along to spend time with her crush, while Laia voluntarily chose to follow to act as a bodyguard for her beloved daughter and a very important human figure.

In the end, he was practically escorted by three lovely ladies, although Giratina was contradictory in terms of that description, given her cold presentation and appearance.

While Ash was very capable of fending for himself given his ability to transform into a Typhlosion whenever he wanted to, Arceus was not willing to take any chances. Given the trainer's status and importance, his safety and security was his number one concern. Many wanted him dead or taken for ransom, especially former agents from the now defunct and demolished UAAF. If that was the case, it would be a very grave situation for his friends and legendary partners alike. Pikachu wasn't with his trainer at the moment either, as he had stayed home to keep Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother, company along with the other Pokémon that resided in Pallet Town.

"I greatly loathe the cold," Giratina complained, especially after having to stand for twenty minutes out in the cold to wait for the train that took them to the high-tech island floating in the sea estuary of northern Hoenn. "I prefer to be back in my realm, curled up in front of my fireplace and reading up on some literature."

"_You're boring!"_ Larissa stated in a pouting fashion. _"Reading books is so unexciting, compared to a game of tag or a lap around Alto Mare!"_

"That's saying much for someone who always think life is all about fun and games. Now _those_ are boring, especially if you're skilled at them. You have a lot to learn in terms of knowledge and responsibilities, Larissa," the Goddess of Death growled.

"_Books are boring; along with everything else everyone takes so seriously, like combat training!"_ she countered mentally. Being a hyperactive and outgoing Pokémon, her favourite activities often involved either playing or drawing with Bianca and her older brother.

The death goddess couldn't imagine why Larissa was such an eager Pokémon to get herself into trouble, especially when she was the most inexperienced out of all the legendaries that battled in the Uprising war. "Then join the Rangers. Heard that beach-bum Havoc is accepting new recruits into his division, and since you love to get into trouble so much, it seems like the job is perfect for you."

"_If Ash is not joining, I'm not going either!"_ she telepathed fiercely, not wishing to leave her trainer's side at all and no matter what happened.

"Now children, there's no need for any unfriendliness here," Laia spoke up, hoping to keep the atmosphere peaceful. Of course, Ash didn't even pay attention as he continued to fill himself full of burgers, fries and ice-cold drinks.

Giratina released a dark-toned giggle from her lips, which was quite chilling for those within hearing range. "I'm just warning her. Being a goddess isn't easy one bit and you know it."

"Aww, Tina, she's still very young," Laia sweetly cooed. "Her time as a guardian won't arrive for quite a while, and even then, I'm sure she'd rather raise a family with Ash then."

"So she gets the easy jobs, I see. What a lucky girl," the Renegade Pokémon mumbled in dissatisfaction.

If one were to think Dialga's disguise was physically stunning at first glance, then Larissa and Laia possessed absolutely drop-dead gorgeous human forms that would easily faint any human should they wink and greet them with a mere "hi". Larissa's hair and skin still retained the reddish-brown and peach-tinted colour scheme respectively, but the style of her hair was now changed as it was stylized into two pigtails that ran down the sides of her head to her elbows. The Pokémon's eye colour remained unaltered, as they were still the golden-amber irises that were the most distinctive feature of her attraction. In terms of clothing, she adorned a light-blue decorated short-sleeved shirt that hugged her body in a relatively tight manner, complemented with a pink ruffled skirt that rose approximately eight or nine inches above the length of her knee. For footwear, she adorned black leggings and a pair of trainer-style shoes that had a combination of pink, black and blue accents.

Her mother instead possessed beautiful, reddish brown-coloured hair that ran to shoulder length coupled with absolutely irresistible eyes composing of amber-coloured irises that emanated a soft glow. For her clothing, Laia wore a light green short-sleeved shirt that displayed her curves nicely and a relatively grey-coloured short skirt. Given the cold nature of the environment, she wore Ranger-issued shoes (a recommendation from Leon and Havoc, given the comfort and warmness that the shoes provided) with black-coloured thigh-high stockings and they protected her bodies from the cold with a fluffy velvet winter coat that was dark green in colour. Surprisingly, herfootwear, despite being only issued for Rangers, was a perfect complement to her appearance as they looked like any ordinary footwear.

"You think Lieutenant Nick Seymour Parker would have minded if we borrowed some of the shoes they issued for the female Rangers?" Laia asked, giggling. The shoes were definitely comfortable to a level where feet aches weren't a problem for her, not to mention they were also a perfect fit for her.

"You bribed him with your homemade coffee-flavoured cake!" Giratina laughed in protest. "Who can resist that?"

Larissa humorously pointed at her love. _"Not Ash, that's for sure!"_

However, under this entire disguise were two angelic and graceful dragon goddesses that differed greatly - while Laia chose to wear such a disguise due to personal taste and a little advice from her human friends, Larissa chose to copy her as she had a tendency to follow her closest friends and family. This was evident with her old form that resembled Bianca's outfit until she was provided with a new disguise when her best human friend decided she would be better off with her own look.

Laia was radically different in terms of appearance, though. She was the ascended variation and being a chosen one of Arceus himself, she sported angelic wings in place of her jet-blade wings while her flippers-like feet had some feathers. She also possessed a long, feathery-like tail while her ears and claws were longer and more elongated compared to a normal Latias. These angelic designs made her a sight to behold, even for Arceus himself. Capable of employing light-type attacks, she was a force to be reckoned with if one was to anger her, which was rare. The sweet and demure-mannered goddess disliked conflicts to begin with, and preferred to spend time with her loved ones, forging new friendships and family relationships, or simply being flirty with her friends as opposed to fighting unnecessary conflicts.

"Sweetie, I know you love to display yourself, but was it absolutely necessary to dress this outlandishly?" Laia questioned her daughter in a motherly manner.

"_Aw, mom! It was a special day and I wanted to pick something I loved,"_ Larissa whined through telepathy. Since she was born a mute due to birth complications (and in addition the difficulties that came with the delivery process had caused her mother to pass away after days the Eon dragons were born), she had to convey her words through the psychic method of communication. Arceus had promised her to heal her vocal cords, but that would take a while since it was dangerous to operate on a young one's body using advanced magic and divine science, due to fragility.

As for the time being, she was only able to make out simple calls such as coos or "laa", but she didn't let this hinder her from being an accepted Pokémon and romantic partner of Ash's. The Eon Pokémon of Alto Mare was one of the most respected and liked in Ash's circle of friends during the Uprising conflict given her friendliness, caring attitude, and just overall cuteness, from Pikachu all the way to the tough-as-nails Lieutenant Havoc.

Laia smiled warmly. "At least we look like twins, even though we clearly aren't."

"Twins or not, you two draw quite the attention," Giratina commented as she had one of her hands on her chin, noticing several male trainers drooling at the "twins" who were just so provocatively attractive. She was more than willing to claw them in the face, but she was almost 100 per cent positive that Ash and the two dragon girls that accompanied him would forbid her from doing that.

The Goddess of Death chose an entirely different human design as opposed to the Eon dragonesses; she decided to go with a simple pair of black trousers, black running shoes, a grey button-up short-sleeved dress shirt and a black velvet coat to couple it all. Her hair was mainly black with some strands of gold in coordination, and her irises were tinted with a crimson-coloured scheme and just outright intimidating. If one were to ask why she was so obsessed with the colour black, it was likely she would answer that it was her favourite colour. After all, she _was_ the Goddess of the Netherworld. Giratina also did not prefer to reveal herself compared to Larissa or Laia, mainly because of her dislike of attention.

"_You look boring, Giri!"_ Larissa complained at her stale-looking design that resembled a common trend most high school teens would call a goth or emo. _"Why don't you wear a skirt? I love the short ones, in particular!"_

"I _hate_ those with a passion," she hissed in reply. "They're so loose and revealing, not to mention just outright girly. It's not like we're going to the ball or bar or something."

Laia laughed a bit at her statement. "It's Christmas. Everyone is dressed up nicely, so it's perfectly reasonable. I've seen _worse_ at the beaches anyways. You're the only one who dresses like you're going for a Halloween party or something."

The Renegade Pokémon snickered. "You know that I'm only here because I have to accompany Ash, correct? I never anticipated on getting presents for everyone either, but then… there's a few I have to thank. Let's not forget, the temperature is below freezing yet you're revealing your legs like you're at the beaches of the Orange Islands."

The ascended Eon dragoness chuckled in a feminine manner. "Oh, come on. There's nothing wrong with showing off your natural beauty."

"_Mom's right!" _Larissa chirped in agreement. _"What's wrong with showing off your good looks?"_

"For once, it makes you look vain and an attention-seeking slut," Giratina answered coldly, sipping her green tea as she did so. "Second of all, you're drawing more attention from lustful humans than a swarm of Grimers and Muks to a sewage treatment plant overflowing with excrements, bodily fluids and toxic waste."

"It's not vain," Laia countered, taking a small sip from her iced green tea smoothie. "Humans are often too insecure when it comes to things like revealing their true forms. They have a lot to learn, but then, well, we can't change their opinions."

The Ghost/Dragon-type Pokémon gave a low chuckle, as if she was mocking the ascended Eon dragoness. "Bottom line, you want to run around 90% unclothed, am I not striking the point here? Prove me wrong."

"We technically _are_ exposed when in our Pokémon forms…"

"_Not to mention we look absolutely gorgeous!"_ Larissa added. _"It looks even better if coupled with a cute dress!"_

"Why are we even talking about this anyway? We have a kid here that probably still lacks knowledge on the concept of such things!" Giratina growled in a frustrating voice. "I'm just going to ignore whatever you two say from now on."

Both mother and daughter sighed as they shook their heads in a state of disappointment. It was clear that the Renegade Pokémon was just that thick-skulled when it came to personal philosophies.

Waiting for Ash to finish his food was only a test of patience. Laia and Larissa did not mind one bit as they were extremely passive and didn't let this bother them one bit, although Larissa worried about Ash's health for eating so much. It was Giratina whose patience was wearing really thin, and it was only seconds later that she rose out of her seat, gave a slight grunt, and walked off. "I'll be somewhere in the mall, looking for some human care products so I don't smell or look funny. Just find me when Ash here is done eating."

"_Wait, I'll come with you!"_ Larissa shot up as she gave pursuit, but quickly stopped to get permission from her mother to do so. _"Can I tag along with Giri, mom?"_

Seeing no reasons to object her daughter from spending time with a somewhat foul-mannered but (mostly) kind-hearted goddess, Laia nodded with a sincere smile. "Okay. But please, don't run off again. Tina, can you watch over her for me?"

"That's child play. That, I can handle. I just need to be away from Ash's constant belching and swine-like noises when he eats," the Renegade Pokémon commented disgustingly as she trailed off with both of her arms in her pockets, while Larissa happily skipped to keep up with her.

"_Wait up, Giri!"_ she cried out mentally, taking off after the Ghost/Dragon-type. _"I'm coming with you!"_

Giratina gave one glance at Larissa and rolled her eyes. "Damn. Just what I needed… a hyper dragon girl who complains that _I'm_ boring yet wants to hang out with me." She was one of the few Pokémon that genuinely disliked Larissa for her overly happy attitude, but didn't have any ill thoughts towards her. _"I have a name too and it's definitely not that silly name that Laia's out-of-control daughter calls me all the time!"_

"_She's growing up so fast…" _Laia couldn't help but giggle at the adorable scenery with her beautiful daughter running off in such an innocent fashion. Accompanying Ash to his meal, she took note the trainer was finally on his last burger. "My, you're sure a big eater. More than Lord Rayquaza, that's for sure."

"This stuff is too good!" Ash commented with a full mouth. He gulped down the food with a slurp of ice-cold soda before returning to stuffing his face with the last hamburger sandwich that he had on hand. "Uh, I'm not taking up your time, right?"

The Eon dragoness shook her head. "No, you're not. Please take your time, if you must."

"Okay then!" The trainer resumed eating like it was nobody's business.

"You haven't changed one bit, at least according to what my dear son and daughter have told me," she observed with a warm and sincere grin on her youthful visage. "Ever since you stepped up along with your friends to save the world, well, what's to say? You're a chosen one. Lord Arceus gave you the willpower and fate to overcome obstacles that not even guardians like me can clamber over. At least the best we can do for you is to put up with your habits." She did have to agree with Larissa on one thing; Ash was a cute boy with more potential than the average human one would find on the streets.

Ash gulped down his last bite from his food before washing it all down with one last slurp from his soda. "Those were some truly awful times. I can't imagine there would be something out there in the universe that can be _that_ overwhelmingly evil." The final battles against the UAAF would forever haunt his dreams. A combined force of Legendary Pokémon, Pokémon Ranger Corps, and several more armoured divisions from foreign countries and regions took place in the gigantic operation that forever sealed the corrupt corporation's fate, with blood, sweat and tears shed in great amounts during the fight. "I hope you'll get over it, Laia," Ash said.

The ascended Latias's emotion fell from upbeat and cheerful into a blank state of neutrality. "…it's fine. I'm starting to forget about it, but then, some things are just hard to get rid of."

"I'm glad that you're thinking positive," Ash complimented. "Few people I knew looked that way, especially during the Uprising conflicts. It was the darkest hour for us all. I certainly thought we were truly done for, given the odds stacked against us…"

Laia shook her head. "Nonsense. No matter how dark or hopeless the hour looks, the spirit of a being will always overcome the toughest challenges and dangers imaginable. Lord Arceus's ancestors made us that way. Those who succumb and let themselves fall into darkness and defeat are only betraying themselves." The memories of those Pokémon who fell to the influence of the UAAF's Corruption Balls made the legendary Light/Psychic/Dragon-type feel downtrodden. Hundreds of thousands of lives would have been saved if only they hadn't abandoned themselves and decided to side with their false saviors…

Hoping to change the subject, she decided to try to get Ash to compliment on her looks. "So Ash, how do I look like? Is there anything that you'd like to point out regarding my image?"

Ash gave one glance at Laia's stunning body image before looking away in embarrassment. "Uh, you're… nice looking, that's it." It was evident to anyone that his blush was showing that he was heavily snapping out from simply glimpsing at her voluptuous image. But it wasn't as hilarious as the example of several Rangers that had first set eyes on her - the soldiers immediately fainted and had to be treated at the local hospital after being literally knocked out upon sight of her.

"Aww, it's okay. My daughter will forgive you for it," Laia spoke in her most honest and sincere tone possible as she placed an arm around the trainer's shoulders.

"What do you mean?" Ash prodded, a small hint of red on his cheeks.

"_Dear Arceus, Latios was right. Ash is dense, even at the age of eighteen and having proclaimed his love for my daughter."_ Dispelling the potentially rude thoughts of the kind-hearted trainer from her mind, she took the liberty to explain to Ash. "I know how you feel. Since you professed your love and relationship with my daughter, you don't want to comment on me as your own self will tell your mind that you're cheating on Larissa. But that's not true. If anything, relationships between deities are pretty open so it's not uncommon to see crisscrossing partnerships between multiple gods and goddesses. Besides, I'm just asking you about an opinion so why are you getting so dense and defensive on me? Are you shy?" she finished before winking at the trainer sexily.

"Uh, well…" Ash fidgeted. "It's really hard to say. I personally don't know myself. Oh, look at the time! We should go find Larissa and Giratina now!" He bolted out of his chair faster than a Mankey scrambling up a tree in search for fruits and nuts.

Laia shook her head as she thought in amusement to herself. _"He's just probably too afraid or shy to admit it given the fact that he's already pledged a relationship with my daughter. But then, 95 per cent of all adolescent males are like this. Either that, or they're just lonely perverts."_

Shaking her head, she made sure the trainer didn't leave anything behind (as it was a common habit Ash possessed) before catching up with him.

* * *

><p>A short distance away, Giratina strolled through the futuristically-designed and constructed shopping mall complete with electronic fast food vendors and moving walkways. The Renegade Pokémon, disguised as a human for obvious reasons, couldn't imagine how Larissa was having so much fun as the energetic dragon girl had her fun leaping in between the conveyor walkways as if she was playing a game of hopscotch.<p>

"You're going to attract security at this rate," the black-haired goddess chided, watching the hyper dragoness jump among the moving walkways and startling those nearby. "Remember, I'm not going to help you in the event you get hauled away. Father would punish me greatly in that case!"

"_I'm just having fun!"_ Larissa shot back defensively as she bounded her way back to her accompanying kin's side.

"…Arceus's ancestors have mercy on me," Giratina groaned, pressing her palms against her face. "The only reason I even decided to come with you is that the other boys are intimidated by me, not to mention Father thought I'd make a good bodyguard for Ash."

"_You know you have feelings for him!"_ the Eon dragoness teased.

This caused a small pulse to erupt from her forehead, as it was partially true and false at the same time. "Do not!"

"_Do too!"_ Larissa teased as she stuck her tongue out in a taunting manner and focused on defending her position with her human love. _"Well guess what, Giri, you're not getting him! I pledged my love for Ashy and that's final! Don't think of taking him away from me, because you'll have me to talk to! Got it?"_ For her, it was difficult trying to keep Ash for herself as there were competitors everywhere, Pokémon and human alike. Some human females were particularly jealous after they realized that Ash had picked a mute girl to be his date, as opposed to a fully-functional one.

Hoping to dispel the notions that she had some feelings for Ash, Giratina laughed as if she had no idea what Larissa was babbling about. "What makes you think that?"

"_Your blush!"_ The Psychic/Dragon-type pointed at the ghost/dragon-type's cheeks, which were a slight tint of red that stood out on her pale, white skin. _"Don't deny it!"_

Giratina rolled her eyes at Larissa's mental statement. "Is there something wrong with being motherly towards the kid? Someone has to look out for him. He saved my life; I saved his on multiple occasions. It's only mutual. Now quit trying to make me laugh or embarrassed here otherwise I'll tear your face off with a Dragon Claw."

"_I dare you,"_ Larissa giggled. As threatening as the Distortion World ruler's statement was, she knew it was all fun and jokes as she would never do anything to hurt the Chosen One or any of his friends, especially not his potential mate.

Although Giratina had felt a feeling of warmness whenever she was accompanied by Ash, she didn't have the same emotions as Larissa, the latter who was just outright smitten by the teenage boy. The Renegade Pokémon had a more parental feeling and view towards the trainer like many of the other legendaries, given their tendencies to help him out in some of the most dangerous situations imaginable that would make even the most hardened Pokémon Ranger veteran's heart race in fear and adrenaline. To this end, Ash had considered the likes of Giratina to be more of a close friend as opposed to a romantic partner like Larissa. _"What can I say? I'm only showing up at this Christmas party because Ash is willing to be there. His friends are kind and brave souls that have honoured us all with their courage and determination."_

Both disguised dragon girls soon decided to take a seat in front of several stores that sold clothing, perfume, makeup, and accessories. Larissa couldn't help but giggle at the other human females that frantically dragged their male partners into the establishments, with the majority of men, boys, and male teenagers not willing to go into such places that sold feminine products.

"_Which one should we go to first?"_ she asked through telepathy. _"The perfume and makeup store or the clothes one? They're both so hard to choose!"_

"Neither. If anything, we should be getting back to the Hall of Origin now," Giratina snorted under her breath. Several passing guys gave Larissa and her funny looks, but she couldn't care less. She had the power to rip apart an entire tank division - a few unarmed humans would be nothing more than a pushover on her side. _"Damn, shouldn't have said that out loud. I would've compromised the safety and secrecy of our havens."_

"_Come on Giri, it's the holidays! Brighten up!"_ Larissa advised before rubbing her companion's hair playfully.

"How can I feel at peace when the Uprising war effectively destroyed 80% of the globe, not to mention left billions of lives in pieces? It's only been two years after the battles and it's as if it only happened yesterday," the Arcean General queried Larissa emotionlessly. As much as she cared less for those who were cowardly and willing to harm others, she felt a great deal of regret for being unable to save the innocent from perishing to the hands of Donald Zetta and his associates' iron hammer of domination. Her other siblings were slightly more positive about the victory, but Giratina had a tough time getting over the losses and this meant she needed to talk with Arceus, Ash, or anyone who was willing to sit down and understand her thoughts.

The Eon dragoness frowned slightly. _"Aww, well, have you tried talking with the others?"_

"Yes," she replied bluntly. "Ask Jimmy or Leon. Those two kids cried more than me as they lost their friends prior to or during the war. Given that both had been granted the powers of telepathy… well, the images they showed me were pretty shocking so I can't blame them at all."

"It's alright, Tina. You have us around to provide a listening ear should you ever need it."

Giratina looked up at the source of the voice and saw the human form of Laia and Ash approaching them. For some reason, seeing the beautiful ascended dragoness even brought a small smile of comfort to the most ill-mannered legendary Pokémon. However, the angelic Latias's tendency to eavesdrop on conversations via her heightened hearing senses, telepathy or sight sharing (with her son, daughter, or any other Eon Pokémon for that matter) was something that bugged her greatly. "Do you ever let us have private conversations for once, Laia?"

"If you aren't discussing anything malicious or with intent to harm others, why be afraid?" she asked with a cute wink. "But pardon me, sometimes it's too hard to resist on dropping in on the adorable talks that my daughter participates in."

"…like mother like daughter," Giratina grumbled, noting of their openheartedness and willing to befriend anyone who would never be able to hurt them willingly. Both Laia and her child giggled, causing the death goddess to roll her red-coloured eyes. It was at this moment when she noticed Ash gulping down another burger before washing down all the food with one gulp from a can of carbonated drink. "Just _how _much does this kid eat? He's _still_ not full after stuffing down that much combos?"

Laia laughed. "I don't know, but his stomach is probably a bottomless pit or a black hole that is never satisfied! His hunger is infinite, just like his lack of intelligence."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Ash answered fiercely in retaliation as he heard her comment on his lack of intellect.

Larissa rose from her seat and embraced Ash in a loving hug, rubbing her warm cheeks gently against her trainer's. _"You know mom is just poking fun at you, right? Please don't take it too seriously!"_ she reasoned in a serene tone through mental communication.

Recalling the jokes of Jimmy, Krakatoa, Leon, and Lachlan, he realized his old friends had cracked much more offensive jokes even though they were all for pure fun and friendly gestures towards each other. "Haha, I understand." Ash gently embraced Larissa in her human form with his arms wrapped around her in return, and she hummed happily while feeling comfortable and secure in her object of affection's grasp.

"They're an adorable couple, aren't they?" Giratina asked the ascended Eon. "Even after these two years, they love each other and are willing to stay at each other's side until the very end. I haven't seen this kind of relationship happen ever since the one between you and your husband's."

"Love is stronger than any form of emotion, perhaps surpassing courage, determination and perseverance," Laia remarked with a small sniffle, standing between the fine lines of sadness and overjoy at the same time. "Too bad only few are able to unlock the full potential of it… just look at the amount of human couples filing for divorces these days." The sights of human lovers that had sworn to be for each other until the very end, only for a breakup to occur a while later, saddened her.

Even though Giratina trusted Ash deeply, she couldn't help but worry about his denseness potentially causing him to come to the decision of deserting Larissa and breaking her heart. "Are you sure he'll stay devoted and loyal to Larissa?"

The ascended goddess nodded firmly. "I have my full trust in Ash, like everyone else that has worked with him during the Uprising conflicts. I've never seen my daughter so happy ever in her life, and this in return makes me happy that she's found her future mate. Even if he does break her heart, I'm sure he'll get a word or two from all of us." She was more than willing of teaching the trainer a lesson should he break her daughter's caring yet fragile heart.

Before anyone could say anything, Ash was dragged off by Larissa into the perfume and makeup store, with the trainer yelping in a surprised manner and telling the excited dragon girl to slow down. The Eon Pokémon didn't comply at all, as her overexcitement had caused her to ignore her trainer's words as she wanted to try out all the wondrous aromas that she wanted to wear and impress Ash with.

Giratina sweatdropped in a dumbfounded fashion at the scene and decided to shop for clothes. She was going to be coming to Earth every now and then to help with restoration projects and tasks, so the Renegade Pokémon felt the need to dive deep into the human lifestyle for at least a little while. "…want to go to the clothing store, then?"

Laia nodded happily. "I'd be glad to. So, what is it that you want to buy?"

"I don't know. I'd have to browse through the selections first."

The Eon dragoness loosed a small giggle from her lips. "That's understandable. By the way, please remind me to buy presents for the other boys."

Giratina gave a slight nod. "I'll remember that."

Getting the gifts for everyone was easy, but there was one difficulty - deciding on the present for Arceus himself. As he was the creator god, he had everything he could possibly desire. This didn't stop Ash on deciding what he wanted to get for the Alpha Pokémon, however. While he wasn't sure if he was up to the task of presenting a gift big enough for the Pokémon god, he knew he would need the help of many. But for now, they had to finish their shopping first. With two weeks on the clock, there was more than enough time necessary required to prepare the presents.

* * *

><p><strong>Alto Mare<strong>

The beautiful city floating on the waves wasn't invulnerable to the cold winter that settled across the region either - what was prominently a tropical getaway with a touch of history was transformed into a freezing region that had the majority of its canals frozen and many of its outdoor attractions closed off. Its civilians, who were all normally clad in summer clothing until late autumn, were now either camping indoors to stay away from the cold or, in the cases of those who needed to work during this season such as Pokémon Rangers, port authority workers, and construction crews, busily breaking up ice clogging up the major ports of the Water Capital. Those who were brave and bold enough to endure the freezing weather skated in the frozen water canals, with skaters replacing boats, gondolas, or any other kind of water transportation. It was truly a paradise for Ice-type Pokémon and those who enjoyed the freezing weather.

Alto Mare's Ranger Naval Reserve was operating all year round, with its air bases, naval ports, vehicle garages and barracks constantly active 24/7 and on the watch for any smugglers, thieves, or rogue agents. Ever since the catastrophic invasion during the Uprising wars, High Command has taken the initiative to vamp up security and patrols throughout the city. The Pokémon Rangers were a welcomed sight in the city, as the civilians lived in peace knowing that there was a ready-for-battle police force making sure the ocean metropolis in the Pacific was safe from harm. The RCS Alto Mare aircraft carrier was docked in the harbour, her armoured flight decks, aircraft out on deck and defensive systems all coated with inches of fluffy white snow.

Snow was a great issue for those living in the city, as there was no space for snowploughing vehicles to manoeuvre through the rather tight streets of the city. All the work of clearing the winter precipitation would have to be either done by hard and difficult hand labour via shovels or by Fire-type Pokémon, the latter easily melting the snowdrifts down with one powerful Flamethrower.

"Whew! It took forever for me to clear out the snow that's blocking our front door," Krakatoa panted as he headed back into the house, his non-flammable fur coated with white sparkles and bits of it frozen from the weather. Brushing his body, he felt the frozen crystals separate from his fur before falling to the ground in mists of dust.

Bianca followed him into the house as she took off her winter coat and boots. "This snowstorm isn't clearing up for a while. We may have to get out there again."

Lorenzo, Bianca's aging grandfather, rocked steadily from the rocking chair he sat in. "Don't you kids go hurting yourselves now. I already appreciate you for missing out on an important gathering just so you could stay here to spend time with us." To his side, Bianca's golden-coloured Pidgeot stood in a still posture, as if it was in a deep trance and was meditating.

"Hey, it's perfectly fine, Gramps," Krakatoa answered. "If Bianca and Lachlan don't want to go, I'm more than grateful to stick with them."

The elderly man sighed in a tired manner, having lost his ability to continue working on building gondolas in his workshop just after two years due to his aging body taking a toll on his body. "I just wish all your friends would drop by and say hi. It's been two years. I just wonder how Larissa is doing…"

"With Ash watching over her, I'm sure she's doing perfectly fine," Lachlan, the name of the Latios from Alto Mare, said while comfortably snuggling up to the rug. Due to the extreme cold of the weather, his human caretakers had allowed him to stay in the house as opposed to leaving him out in the garden. "But it's okay. Lord Arceus understands that we have to stay here to take care of you." He looked at Krakatoa and laughed a bit. "Well, at least he's doing all the hard work here!"

"Stinks to be the strongest male who happens to have a strong resistance to cold here," the Typhlosion groaned, tired and short of breath after shovelling and using Ember to melt the snow. He just wished that his trainer, Jimmy, was here to help him out. _"Kid just had to run off to the Christmas party while I have to stay here. But then, if I wasn't here, poor Bianca would be doing all the hard labour work here. I probably won't miss out too much, though. Jimmy deserves his fun."_

Latios was seated in the living room, his eleven feet long body lying comfortably on the warm carpet in front of the fireplace. "Well, you're the only one capable of doing so without freezing. Even if I had clothing in my human state, I'd be extraordinarily vulnerable in such weather."

Bianca nodded in agreement. "He's right. I wouldn't let Lachlan outside even if he wished to help us clear out the snow so thanks for your help. I can make it up to you, I promise!"

Although the Typhlosion was about to shoot another complaint at Lachlan for not helping him to shovel snow outside Bianca's house, it didn't really matter. The Eon Dragon had a weakness to ice and extreme cold while Lorenzo was reaching his age, so making Bianca do all the work of clearing the endless snow would definitely make him feel bad. "Well, you don't really need to. I was just doing my job."

Krakatoa was formally Jimmy's Pokémon, but when the trainer was fused with his own companion, it resulted in a hybrid - the end result was a Typhlosion that was capable of human speech, knowledge and abilities while at the same time retaining all of his old combat skills in an effective manner, making him a Pokémon that could fight on its own without commands from anyone. This was one of the UAAF's main objectives - to make a Pokémon that would act as a proficient field agent that would not need the guidance of another trainer to be effective, but they did not anticipate on Krakatoa deserting them. The abandoned Pokémon soon found itself befriending Larissa and Bianca, and this led to the eventual reunification of the entire team. After Jimmy returned to his old self, his Pokémon retained his human traits, and due to his close connections with Bianca made during his adventures with the girl, he is often seen spending his time in Alto Mare, acting as a guardian wherever Bianca went.

As Bianca only had two Pokémon throughout her career as a Pokémon Trainer, this didn't exactly matter as Krakatoa and her Pidgeot were both proficient and powerful battlers, while Latios was always willing to lend her a hand should she need his assistance. She didn't exactly own Latios though; that honour belonged to Ash. However, the trainer allowed the Eon Pokémon to stay in Alto Mare as a sign of respecting his choice of freedom.

Lachlan was revived prior to the onset of the Uprising war, and through some luck with fate, he was reborn with a new life. This also allowed him to speak the human language, gain new offensive abilities, and transform him into a Pokémon that greatly differed from the one during his first encounter with Team Rocket that nearly left Alto Mare sunken beneath the waves. Reuniting with his overjoyed sister and travelling with Ash to fight off the UAAF and Team Rocket, the end of the war saw both siblings separated as Larissa wished to travel with Ash on his adventures, while the former's older brother chose to stay in Alto Mare. Although he greatly missed his sister from time to time, he was still pleased deep down, knowing that she would be happy with her future mate. Being able to meet his mother once again revealed the emotional side of the Eon Pokémon, as the first thing he did was to embrace his parent in a tear-filled but happy reunion.

"Krakatoa, can you please come help me prepare dinner?" Bianca asked as she turned on the stove and began to boil some of her homemade soup.

"Huh? Oh, sure thing," the Typhlosion complied as he headed into the kitchen to help out his trainer. This made Lorenzo smile as he watched his granddaughter get along so well with a Pokémon who treated her like a caring sibling.

"He's like the only figure that Bianca had befriended that closely that's not from Alto Mare," he sighed. "Just like how Larissa decided to choose her future mate that's of a completely different species."

The Latios shook his head as he yawned sleepily. "It doesn't matter. As long as my sis is happy… that's all I have to say. I'm not one to judge her on the decisions she makes. She's grown up enough to make her own choices."

"Ash is a fine young man with a pure and caring heart. I'm positive he'll bring great happiness to your beloved sister," Lorenzo remarked, clearing his throat as he ran short of breath.

"I believe that too. Mom's also taking good care of him, at least. That eases my worries of him leading Larissa into dangerous situations," Lachlan joked a bit.

He was disappointed that he wouldn't be seeing his sister or attending a party to meet old faces again, but there were always other opportunities in the future where he would be able to attend yearly gatherings should they present themselves.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Weeks Later, December 23rd, Hall of Origin<strong>

The two weeks flew by rapidly, and everyone who was invited to the Hall of Origin for the grand Christmas feast and gathering arrived on the evening of December 23rd. Arceus had organized two weeks' worth of events for everyone there while providing all his guests with accommodations that far surpassed the quality of a five-star hotel. Throughout the last two weeks, everyone else had been busy getting presents and gifts for those whom they wished to give to. Those who were more busy, as in the case of many Pokémon Rangers who were invited, had to return to their respective home bases to file a request for a leave. This didn't prevent them from coming late to the party, though.

"Arceus is really inviting us all?" a fellow Ranger by the name of Private First Class Bill Wilkins asked, feeling slightly intimidated. "I mean, I was just a mere soldier who managed to survive the Saffron City liberation battle and got out unscathed… but wow, do I really deserve the honour of walking in here?"

"Keep your head up and stop acting depressed, meat!" Gunnery Sergeant Frank Weems barked as he slapped him harshly on the back. Being the partner of Lieutenant Havoc, the man was known to be equally authoritative yet easygoing with the troops he was often assigned to. "You should be thankful that Lord Arceus has given you the right to step in here, so brighten up! If he allows you to be here you should be proud, soldier!"

"Y-Yes sir!" the young Ranger spoke boldly, twisting his expression from a shy to a confident and brave one.

GS Weems gave a low chuckle in response to his underling's obedient gesture to smarten up.

The small company of Rangers lined up outside the main doors into Arceus's palace waited patiently, with Weems apologizing to Leon. "Sorry Leader-5. I don't know why we had to invite all these troublesome kids along." He paused before glancing over his shoulder and looking at the platoon of around twenty Rangers or so, each and all of them having earned recognition for the final battles against the UAAF and Team Rocket. "They didn't contribute to the victory as much as you and your new allies did."

Shrugging, Leon simply smiled with two boxes of gifts the size of shoeboxes clutched in his hands. "That's alright. They deserve recognition for simply being on the battlefield and surviving against something so unspeakably evil."

"Hmph, likewise," Weems snorted. "So I've heard that Lachlan isn't coming. Why is that?"

"Ah, that," the Corporal-ranked Ranger drawled. "He has an aging human and a childhood friend to take care of. Alto Mare is his home, and since he wanted his sister to be sent off to celebrate the season with her mate, well… it's either him or Larissa that gets to go. Someone has to watch over Alto Mare even during times of peace."

"Well, the city has a great Ranger presence! Why would there be a need for such tight security?" another youthful soldier by the name of Lance Corporal Anthony Ritch asked.

"Remember the attack on Alto Mare, kid?" Weems reminded. "We do not need to speak of that again."

The Lance Corporal-ranked soldier immediately fell silent. It was truly a day that would live on in shame as a well-defended city was invaded by a combined force of Team Rocket and UAAF forces, the two factions summoning an amphibious invasion of the city and taking the Rangers stationed there almost by complete surprise. The invaders were soon driven off, but it was soon revealed to be a distraction as the rest of the world began to fell to the might of the gigantic invaders that swept across the world like wildfire, all because of three captured legendaries that they possessed.

"That's in the past. It's time to focus on a brighter future," Leon spoke quietly. "Better not talk about the war, as it's a sensitive topic among many, Arceus in particular."

His commanding officer nodded in approval. "Understood."

The Rangers were the latest to arrive to the party due to their delays. Everyone else had managed to arrive earlier than the brave soldiers that fought in the previous war, given their relatively stress-free schedules during the holiday season. Jimmy, Ash, Palkia, Dialga, Giratina, Larissa, Laia, Reshiram, Zekrom and many other legendaries were already settled in the living room of Arceus's residence, everyone exchanging presents amongst each other. Other guests (mainly consisting of humans that had befriended legendaries who happened to be closely related to Arceus himself) such as Dawn, Professor Newton Graceland, Sheena, and Alice were also present there. To honour the guests and as a gift of gratitude, the Alpha Pokémon had a scarf made of pure gold cloth and silk given out to every human that had attended, while a small locket resembling the "Jewel of Life" was given as a way to secure the item of clothing around one's neck. It was regarded by the receivers that it provided more warmth than the fluffiest forms of winter clothing. However, Lugia, Ho-Oh and Rayquaza were not able to attend, as they had another task on hand, and that was to help Santa Claus deliver his presents to every child in the world at a faster pace. This didn't bother Arceus one bit, as there was still the New Year's Day celebration that was not in two weeks or so.

The likes of Celebi, Jirachi, and the Legendary Beasts handed out treat bags and stockings contained with snacks, food items, and other memorial items to the human guests. Although the gifts looked cheap, this didn't bother anyone at all as after all, they were overall grateful of the fact that they were going to be able to dine with Arceus for the evening.

"Merry Christmas everybody!" Mew squealed in happiness as she greeted all the guests while handing out treats to everyone in the room as she flew throughout the living room, distributing candy. "Treats for everyone!"

"The Rangers are still outside, you know that?" a Lucario who functioned as a servant for Arceus himself reminded her, his right hand holding a platter of expensive-looking drinks. "I'll take care of the refreshment distribution, why don't you bring them in?"

"Okay-dokey! Please give these out to the guests!" Mew giggled as she complied with the Aura Pokémon's request, handed him the pail of candy and flew out of the room like a missile.

Present exchanging was the first event, coupled up with snacks presented for the guests in the massive living room of Arceus's residence. It was about the size of a football field, if not bigger. While the humans were like Parasects in the chamber, the larger-sized deities had difficulties moving around and making sure not to step on any of the occupants by accident.

"I got a box of colourful rocks!" Palkia groaned in disappointment as he opened the gift box that Giratina had handed him, only to reveal a container filled with colour-assorted stones of varying types. Bits of ore, gems, gold, silver, diamonds, and whatnot were present inside the room-sized box.

"I'm sure that fits for you considering Laia gave me a box of chocolates!" Zekrom grumbled as he held up a box containing some chocolates that were nightmarishly expensive. "I hate sweet foods!"

Laia scoffed at the Electric/Dragon-type's rather rude statement. "I made them myself, dear. I thought they would be able to brighten up your life since you're born on a combat nature. At least please appreciate the gifts that others give you."

"…whatever," Zekrom huffed stubbornly as he sampled one of the sweets with haste. Although he disliked them at start, he grew to love the expensive sweets that coated his tongue in caramel heaven.

"Ho ho ho!" Graceland laughed humbly as he examined the contents within with curiousness. "Perhaps those rocks contain valuable elements?"

"Hey, you said you wanted something more than lumps of coal to decorate your realm, so I answered your desires and wishes. Well, Merry Christmas! And the professor's right. Those rocks are from the Distortion World's gold mines, so be thankful," she laughed before levitating over to Dialga and presenting her with another box. "Oh and by the way Newton, Merry Christmas to you too." She then levitated a small charm made of pure minerals from the Distortion World from her back and lowered it towards the scientist.

"Why, this is… Distortium?" Graceland gasped, not believing what he was seeing with his eyes. "It's the property I was looking for ever since I first laid my eyes on the Distortion World! This means I can finally advance my research on antimatter!"

"I thought you might like it," Giratina informed him. "You always want a sample of my world's minerals for your beneficial researches and experiments, and I couldn't have been happier to provide you with one." Since the middle-aged but wise-cracking scientist had been noble enough to sacrifice his project for a weapons platform codenamed the Megarig for the greater good of her life, Graceland was another human that had earned her trust, although their bond could never eclipse her bond towards Ash or the others.

"Merry Christmas, Arceus," Ash spoke with gratitude as he handed the Alpha Pokémon a box folded with colorful wrapping paper. "I hope you enjoy my present."

The Alpha Pokémon gave a smile and nod of gratitude towards the chosen one and opened the present with his telepathic powers. From within wasn't something that was purchased from the gift store with ludicrous amounts of money or something cheap - in fact, it was a golden cloak made of pure silk that Laia and Larissa had sewn personally and later decorated by Ash with various diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Despite looking relatively fragile, it was strengthened enough to endure tough attacks, ranging from high-calibre bullets all the way to Hyper Beams.

Arceus widened his eyes at the article of clothing. "My, Ash, this is a very glamorous present! Did you really make this yourself?"

The Pokémon Trainer scratched his head as he denied the Pokémon god's question. "Actually, no… I got Larissa and her mother to help me. I'm not a very good at making clothing but… considering you can get anything, well, I thought this would suit you well. Why don't you try it on?"

"Alright."

Wrapping the cloak around his neck psychically, the cape draped over the mid-wheel section of Arceus's body and he groaned as he noticed that particular part of his body stand out from the cloak that covered him. "Uh… doesn't this look awkward on me?"

"Not one bit!" Ash complimented, feeling proud of the gift that he had made personally with the help of Dawn, Larissa and Laia.

"I placed a lot of time into designing that, I'm glad you love it!" Dawn spoke with delight.

"Now you truly look like a royal majesty," Laia added with a small giggle.

"It looks stunning on your visage, Lord Arceus," Sheena added humbly. "It's a marvellous gift, Ash."

"Heh, thanks," the Pokémon Trainer laughed nervously, feeling somewhat awkward at the compliments he was receiving. "I don't know if it could compare to the presents you gave to Arceus and the Creation Trio, though…" He wondered about the diamond, pearl, platinum and titanium statues of Dialga, Palkia, Giratina and Arceus that were sculpted respectively by Michina Town's best sculpture craftsmen. As a response to her generosity, the Creation Trio, along with Arceus himself, granted the girl a necklace from each of their respective elements they represented.

Sheena gave a humble smile to the trainer. "Your present is lovely too. I cannot imagine having to accomplish such a project without the aid of someone like Laia herself. But the present is not about what the content is as it's the motive of why you made it to begin with."

"I guess." Ash realized he still had a lot to learn, then remembered his previous short-lived stop in the Sinnoh town in which he had first met Arceus and all three members of the Creation Trio together at once. It even amazed him more after he witnessed Sheena was capable of summoning any member of the Creation Trio at will through telepathic means. "Speaking of which, how is Michina Town?"

Smiling, the blonde-haired girl shook her head. "Thank you for your concern, but nothing much has been happening really. The town's just as peaceful and quiet as ever, although visits from Dialga and Palkia are quite common. They come every now and then to administer anything that's necessary." She turned to her right shoulder and witnessed a Machoke dressed up in a nice suit handing her a drink. "Oh, thank you very much. You're a kind gentleman."

"You're most welcome, Mistress Sheena," the Superpower Pokémon gave a slight bow before returning to give out more drinks to the guests.

Larissa felt this was her time to give her love her present too, and she happily barrelled over to the trainer. Her approach caused the eighteen-year-old boy to divert his attention towards the Eon dragoness. "Oh, do you have a present too?" Ash asked.

"_I sure do! But this one is a surprise, so please close your eyes. And no peeking either! This doesn't mean you can read my mind too!"_ she scolded, hoping that the item she had got him would surprise him.

Ash nodded as he closed his eyes shut with a smile. Larissa quickly unwrapped her present for him, pulled out a necklace consisting of a small figurine of a miniature Eon Pokémon of the same type as her made of pure ruby and coated with gleaming silver steel, and carefully placed it around Ash's neck. _"Okay, you can open your eyes now!"_ she giggled.

The Pokémon Trainer opened his eyes and noticed the gift on his body. "It's so pretty… thank you. I wish I could thank you with my own present, but…" He realized he had forgotten about it when he had to rush to the party.

"_Your affection and love for me is all I need,"_ she spoke gently before giving him a small kiss on the lips. Although Ash would have usually died of embarrassment right on the spot, he didn't mind at all this time as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the Eon Pokémon's embrace and affection towards him.

"Hold it, hold everything!" Jimmy commented as he quickly pulled out his camera and snapped a picture of the couple. "This is a scene worth preserving!"

"Is that necessary?" Reshiram intervened as she lowered her head towards the human. "You'll embarrass the poor kid."

"Hopefully he'll get over it," he commented with a warm smile. "Ash will need to in the future!"

The Vast White Pokémon loosed a small snort, wondering how she was over seven-million-years-old yet never had a mate, but a five-hundred-year-old dragon girl managed to get it with an eighteen-year-old human. _"Life's a funny thing, I take it."_

Palkia was busily unwrapping another present that Dialga had given him - a pair of diamond-armoured pauldrons given the Spatial God's addiction of wearing heavy combat gear when he took notice of Arceus's new garb adorned on his body. "Whoa! Since when did Father become a superhero!"

"You big imbecile," Dialga giggled. "There was a reason that Ash had asked us for the materials that we used to construct our world with. Anyways, do you like my present?"

"Do I!" the God of Space exclaimed. "I freaking love it! Thanks sis!"

"Well, anything for a big dumb lug such as yourself. I love your present too, it's very thoughtful," Dialga uttered happily as she smiled at a crown of pearls that her brother had given her.

Palkia shrugged. _"Phew, I'm just glad she liked it. I didn't want to look like too much of a cheapskate!"_

Meanwhile, Dawn was greeted by Shaymin as the pint-sized Gratitude Pokémon displayed a bouquet of Gracidea flowers to the Pokémon Coordinator. "Merry Christmas, Dawn! It's good to see you are able to attend!" the small creature squeaked in a high-pitched voice akin to a ten-year-old girl.

The young girl gasped in awe at the beautiful flowers as she took them with a sense of gratefulness. "Oh my, these are beautiful! Thank you! I've got a gift for you too, please hold on."

The Grass/Flying-type nodded as she waited patiently for her human friend to bring out what she had brought for the pint-sized legendary no bigger than one and a half feet in height.

She took off her backpack and later pulled out a jar of homemade poffins that were the size of a two-litre bottle. "I know how much you love these, so I decided to make as much as I could and fit them into one jar. Please don't eat them in one go!" she laughed as she handed the Pokémon no taller than a foot the contents.

"Thank you, Dawn!" Shaymin cheered in a high-pitched voice as she flew up onto her head and rested on her soft, blue-coloured hair.

Alice smiled at the pair before she approached them, happy to see an old friend again. "It's good to see you again, Dawn."

"Oh, hi Alice!" Dawn exclaimed, happy to meet their friend again after the incident at Alamos Town. "How's Darkrai doing? Is he feeling better now that Alamos Town is much more peaceful and quiet?"

"He's doing fine. It was unfortunate he could not attend, though. He felt a strong need to rebuild Sinnoh with the help of others after the war," the girl sighed. Even though she had received a few gifts, she was disappointed that her childhood Pokémon friend was not able to attend.

Across the room, Jimmy decided to present his own surprise to Palkia as he held one of the many new video games he had purchased recently. Walking up to the Water/Dragon-type, the Spatial Pokémon noticed him approach before he kneeled down to meet with the trainer. "You have something to say, Jimmy?"

"Yes," the Pokémon Trainer confirmed as he extended his gift forward. "Merry Christmas!"

"What could it be?" Palkia asked with curiosity, wondering what could be possibly inside the small box.

Smiling brightly, Jimmy knew the Creation God would be amazed at his present. "Open it up. You might be surprised."

Making sure not to damage the contents within with his oversized claws, he opened the present with eagerness and excitement. From within lied the brand new and long-awaited game for the Wii that was recently released a month or so before the holiday season - Super Smash Deities 4.

"How did you get your hands around this, Jimmy? Weren't these sold out within the first week of release?" he uttered breathlessly, not being able to imagine that he was holding his most wanted game of the decade.

"Just ask Dialga," the trainer gestured over to the Temporal Goddess, who gave a small wink in response. "She also managed to secure Pokémon Stadium 3 and Extermination Warrior 4 for Ash and Leon respectively. The games came in just in time, too!"

Pumping his right claw in impatience, Palkia knew he had to play his newest game with the others. "We have to play this right now!"

"Er…, I think we'll have to wait 'til later," Jimmy chuckled nervously. "We still have to respect Arceus's wishes and join him for dinner, remember that? I'm hungry too as I haven't eaten anything up 'til this moment."

"Oh, yeah. Well, care to stay here for a while to play with the others?" the forty-foot-tall Pokémon asked.

The equally excited Pokémon Trainer cheered in response. "Sure thing!"

At this time, Mew had finally allowed the Rangers to enter after scanning each and every one of their minds to make sure they were not interlopers or uninvited guests. "Okay, our final guests are here!" her cheery voice echoed from down the hall. Moments later, the small platoon of soldiers had entered; every one of them unarmed but standing proudly in their uniforms. Almost immediately, they went for the snacks and drinks, although they were courteous enough to not mob each other like ravages or starving refugees that hadn't eaten in weeks. Mew gave a slight giggle at the silly scene before zooming off to catch up with Mewtwo somewhere back on Earth.

"_I'll be back later, Arcy! I have to get Mewtwo, Groudon and Kyogre their presents and wish them all a Merry Christmas,"_ she telepathed to the Alpha Pokémon before disappearing from the Hall of Origin through teleportation. Due to other matters on Earth, the deities that represented earth and the seas respectively could not make it to the party either.

"_Try to be back soon,"_ Arceus responded humbly through telepathy. _"Dinner starts in an hour or so."_

"At least they're courteous of outsiders," Gunnery Sergeant Frank Weems commented on the kindness of the Legendary Pokémon as he observed the grand environment and setting around him. "Well, we're here! Line up and be polite like you're in the cafeteria, soldiers! Otherwise you're getting no dinner! You kids need to show some respect, especially for the gods and goddesses!"

The Rangers all voiced "affirmative" in response to their squad leader's request.

Possessing Ash's forgotten gift that he had gratefully decided to bring with him, Leon approached the trainer with a humble expression on his face before handing the box to him. "Here's your gift for Larissa. Even after these two years, you're still as forgetful as ever!" He paused for a laugh or two before he continued, "Thank luck I was in Kanto during that time so I was able to drop by Pallet Town to help you pick it up."

Ash rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Thanks for the help. Wow… I guess friendship really sticks…"

Smiling with pride, Leon saluted. "It's fine. Just trying to help out a friend here."

Larissa was excited too as to what Ash had gotten her. She flew up to Ash with an eager face and immediately asked him what he had brought this time. _"Oh, Ash, what did you bring?"_

Ash smiled as he carefully removed the wrapping paper from the gift, opened up the box and brought out a lovely tiara that was made of pure silver and was decorated with several ruby, sapphire and emerald stones. Placing the decoration on the Eon dragoness's head, Larissa smiled happily at her gift as she glomped her trainer in a tight hug again. _"Thank you Ash! I love this! I've always wanted to get one of these to complement my dresses!"_

"I knew it would be perfect for you. But you can thank Leon and Palkia for travelling halfway around the world to Unova just to get this!" Ash added.

"Anything to put a smile on you two," the Ranger chuckled. He turned to Laia, and decided it was time to give her the present he had gotten her. "Merry Christmas, Laia." Handing over the wrapped gift, the ascended Latias accepted it with a warm expression before opening the box and revealing the content within - a gleaming golden robe shining with pure gold light.

"Oh my, did you too… make this for me?" she asked before she wrapped the robe around her. It draped over her angelic wings and gave her the physical impression of a true goddess in ancient mythologies and fables.

"Sort of. Of course, there's no way I can get this on the human market. I had a little assistance from Ash's friends," he chortled. Before he could continue, Laia brought out a golden necklace that was similar to the one that her daughter had given Ash, but instead her own variation had her own visage acting as the charm and hung it around the Ranger's neck. "Merry Christmas, Leon. Thank you for being there for my kids, Ash, and everyone else that holds great importance within us," she spoke soothingly before wrapping him around her wings in a warm hug.

"Thanks," he whispered quietly in response but soon felt uncomfortable of being hugged that much. As much as it was comfortable, it felt awkward for him. "Uh, can you let go of me now? I'm starting to feel awkward here!"

Laia released her grasp on him as requested and gave him a small giggle. "You're still dense about showing affection in public? You're twenty-years-old!"

"Tell that to the Rangers. We can't date until we're either fired or past the age of thirty, but… well, I don't know. I don't make up their crazy laws!"

"Don't worry, Corporal," Weems called from across the room. "We won't tell High Command! You have my word on it."

Leon shot a threatening glare at his superior that supervised him and his friends for the evening. "Well, you'd better!"

Reshiram approached the two and landed gently on her legs before observing the two beings that were far smaller than she was. The Vast White Pokémon towered at least thirty feet tall, compared to Laia who was only around sixteen feet in height or the human that accompanied her, standing at a mere 5'5". "Getting comfortable here, aren't we?" she commented at the two with a warm tone in her words.

"It's my first time at a legendary party, so yeah… tryin' to get used to the whole atmosphere," Leon nervously murmured. It was difficult for him to talk to a Pokémon that was taller than a house and could squash him like a bug with just one small misstep.

"_There's no need to feel nervous!" _Larissa advised. _"Everyone here is friendly!"_

"She's right," Ash added in agreement, having befriended just about all the legendaries he had encountered throughout his adventures. "Why are you getting so worked up, Ranger?"

"…just my instincts. That's what happens after serving for almost a decade in the Rangers," Leon muttered, slightly embarrassed. In response, Larissa, Laia, Reshiram and Ash all laughed humorously at his oblivious response.

* * *

><p>Dinner soon followed after the present-exchanging session, with everyone gathered around the grand table in the dining room of the Hall of Origin. Dialga and Reshiram's specialties were soon presented to everyone who was eager to stuff themselves full of food, and they did - Ash, Jimmy, Zekrom, Palkia and the Rangers, in particular, wolfed down as much food as they possibly could that a potential fight might have broken out between the other occupants, who all ate politely and with good manners. Add to the thunderous burps that followed from the same boys and legendaries, this meant hours of displeasure and disgust for those who didn't enjoy rude table manners. Some of the servants that were responsible for collecting and taking away the dishes had to often put up with the pig-like noises that some of the boys made.<p>

"Is this how humanity acts when they intake their daily meals?" the Lucario asked.

"This is why I don't like them for starters," a Zoroark sneered as she rolled her eyes in reply.

Smaller legendary Pokémon such as Celebi and Jirachi ate in small increments, but as the pint-sized Pokémon didn't require too much food, they were rather satisfied in a rather short amount of time. The Legendary Beasts, true to the contrary of being canine-like entities, ate like Growlithes with a madness of hunger as they munched their way through their bowls of mashed potatoes, grounded beef, and assorted vegetables.

The humans at the table couldn't eat in massive portions like the other gigantic legendaries that were accompanying them either, but for the likes of Ash and the Rangers, the amounts they ate were stellar compared to the amounts that others consumed.

"Now this is just something that really gets on my nerves," Giratina angrily sighed as she levitated several pieces of steak into her mouth, all the while trying to shut out the belching noises that the boys emitted. "How come no one informed these children on how to eat and behave properly at the table?"

"_It's adorable, though!"_ Larissa responded, giggling at the notion of a burping contest that three Rangers, along with Jimmy, were currently undergoing. It only got funnier as one of the soldiers belched so loud that soda came out of his nose like a Spinarak firing snot from its jaws.

"How can you possibly find burps and belches to be _cute_?" Dialga asked curiously.

Reshiram drank from a cup that was the size of several oil barrels combined. "I have a feeling the dear little dragoness finds everything cute. Lord Arceus, aren't you going to condemn such table manners?"

Arceus gave his head a quick shake in disagreement. "That is not in my power. If they want to eat like that, well… why not let them? They're having an awfully good time!"

"You threw me out of the palace several Christmases ago when I belched like a Tyranitar bellowing after inhaling six hundred barrels of beer!" Zekrom complained in protest after picking up the Alpha Pokémon's statement through his extrasensory nerves.

"Uh, actually… you shorted out all the lights because you unleashed a Fusion Bolt that threatened to fry everything in the room during the burp," Reshiram muttered. "If I didn't counteract it with my Blue Flare, you would have electrocuted us all in one blow."

The Deep Black Pokémon decided to simply stop arguing. It seemed that his sister and the other female legendaries would always triumph over him in terms of arguing through knowledge and reasoning. Sucking it up, the Legendary Pokémon from Unova decided to simply keep his mouth shut for the time being before returning to his meal, occasionally cracking a joke or two with Palkia or the Rangers. Across from the table, Mew giggled at his argument.

"No need to feel down, Zek!" the New Species Pokémon encouraged. "You know they're only poking fun at you, so why feel down?"

"Don't remind me," Palkia huffed. "When we joke, no one laughs. When the females crack one, though, and the whole household is laughing like Groudon dropped his pants in the public."

"…Groudon doesn't _wear_ pants," Giratina growled in a dull fashion. In response to her comment, Reshiram and Dialga giggled under their breaths. "It's clearer than pure diamonds that your jokes hold little purity in terms of being amusing or relevant at the same time. Save me the lecture should you have a counterargument, as I'm almost certain it's going to be an unwitty one."

"See what I mean?" the Spatial God muttered. "They're biased against us!"

Mew shrugged as if she could neither agree with Palkia or Giratina. "Aw, I'm sure they'll warm up to you someday!"

"Yeah, someday," the Water/Dragon-type mumbled wishfully before continuing his way through a serving of mashed potatoes and corn.

"Eww!" Dawn yelped as Jimmy burped so loud that he managed to shoot a stream of gravy from his nose and splatter it all over her pink and black-coloured dress. "Jimmy! What was all that for?"

"My, that was a perfect trajectory in which you fired that stream!" Graceland stated, estimating how the Pokémon Trainer's act of shooting gravy out of his nose in such an arc was perfect with his calculating mind. "That was spectacular!"

"It wasn't as if you're on the receiving end of it!" Sheena laughed in response.

Realizing what he had just done, the Pokémon Trainer rose out of his seat, wandered over with a napkin, and wiped the mess off of her clothing. "Sorry. I think Krakatoa's abilities of breathing fire through his nose must've passed on to me!"

"The bonds between a human and Pokémon can be so tight, that even inherent abilities can be transferred between the two," Laia commented with a warm giggle. To her side, both Ash and Larissa were eating as politely as possible, especially after the Eon Pokémon had told the trainer to eat slowly as to avoid choking on excessive amounts of food.

"_Please eat slowly, Ash!"_ Larissa demanded as she scowled at him with a glaring eye.

"Okay, okay!" Ash answered as he was eager to stuff himself before all the food was gone. Once he was satisfied, he'd then be available to ask or answer questions. Taking Larissa's advice, he ate slowly, but made sure to eat at a good pace in which he would be able to grab more from the table.

On Laia's opposite side, though, Leon and the other Rangers were eating through their meals like lawnmowers cutting through grass. Aside from their excessive pigging, they continuously belched and had to make repeated trips to the bathrooms, which was a great, amusing scene for those who enjoyed gross humour. The likes of Dialga, Giratina, Sheena, Alice and Reshiram greatly disliked the rude table manners that were being displayed here, but it was only so long before they too had to join in laughing with the boys who saw this more as a stand-up comedy night as opposed to an evening of dinner and celebration. Even Arceus himself had to agree as he watched his ancestors' creations and descendants gulp down the food that tasted almost as delicious as heaven itself.

"Lord Arceus, I think you made a grave choice in inviting a bunch of pigs to a party," Giratina bemoaned as she shook her gold-decorated crowned head at the gluttonous humans who dug through their food like Growlithes munching through their food bowl messily.

"They're still young, so they're learning," Arceus chuckled. "How can you blame them?"

"Manners should be learnt at an age below ten!" the Renegade Pokémon protested in defence. "These boys are able to shoot a target half a mile away or befriend a Pokémon with their minds, and yet they can't possess proper table manners!"

The Alpha Pokémon shook his head. "They're having a fun time. Let them be."

Giratina rolled her eyes while trying to ignore the disgusting eating noises that most of the table's occupants were making, while her ruler simply laughed royally. Arceus was enjoying this type of atmosphere, despite the rudeness and rather unpleasant gestures.

After all, what was the point of objecting if everyone was enjoying themselves and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it?

* * *

><p>Everyone had gone to bed rather early after dinner; it had been a tiring evening, especially for those who were less physically fit or simply ate too much that they got sick. The Rangers, Dawn, Sheena, Alice, Professor Graceland, and smaller legendary Pokémon had all gone to bed early after a night of excitement and welcoming. Most of the legendaries, along with their human companions, stayed up in order to help clean up the mess left over after the dinner party, or in Jimmy and Palkia's case, the duo went off to play their new game on the Wii, all presented through a gigantic television set with complete surround sound and was the size of a movie cinema's display.<p>

"Think you can keep up with my skills of gaming, Palkia?" Jimmy seethed tensely as he mashed buttons like mad.

"I'm a god so I'll beat you to no end!" the Dragon/Water-type Pokémon countered as he too was just as determined to win like the younger kid. Due to the fact that there were no controllers that could be fitted in between his gigantic palms, he had to play his games in his human state.

"…I'm afraid we'll be up all night again, playing like a pair of mad maniacs," the human groaned, already starting to feel tired after eating so much. "Can't we get Ash and the others to play?"

Palkia paused the game and slapped him on the back harshly, making Jimmy jolt slightly in shock. "Come on now, where's your inner gaming spirit? You're leaving in two weeks and I don't know when I'll see you again! No, Ash is busy with spending his time with Larissa, while the others are either sleeping or being goody-two shoes by doing chores."

"You know that I can always come visit you if you need it," his human companion reminded him as he quickly took a gulp from a glass of water. "That is, unless you're going to be busy administering to your god-like jobs and such."

Palkia leaned back on the bean bag chair in a lazy fashion as he enjoyed the thought of relaxation and partying for two weeks straight without a care or any hassles on their shoulders. "Well, I'm not all that busy now that 95 per cent of the world is at peace… at most, I'll get a call from Sheena to help her out with something absurd, but nah, except for taking care of my realm, there's little to do these days."

Zekrom soon poked his head into the room, excited to hear the conversation about the new game. "Hey, did you guys get a new game? Care if a third player decides to join the fray?"

"You're welcome to!" Jimmy exclaimed. "We need more than two players for maximum excitement!"

Eager to play, the Deep Black Pokémon stomped over as his gigantic build caused the ground to vibrate slightly as he approached, but he made sure not to crush anything in the process. Just like Palkia, he had to transform into a human for full enjoyment too and to do this, he morphed his gigantic dragon body into the state of a twenty-year-old young man wearing a black jacket, black combats coupled with white sneakers, and crimson red hair.

"Red hair?" Jimmy scrunched up an eyebrow in questioning. "Don't you hate that colour?"

"There's a reason why my eyes are red, kid," the transformed Zekrom half-heartedly retorted as he plopped himself down next to Palkia. "Let's play!"

The paused game was soon restarted, and before long, all three boys were enjoying Super Smash Deities 4, the players laughing, cheering and screaming madly throughout their game due to a combination of excitement, frustration, and triumph as the trio of players either lost or won a game throughout the night. It did, however, take Reshiram to come by and reprimand them to keep their noise levels low, as they did have guests sleeping over.

"Boys, they'll never mature," the Fire/Dragon-type dragoness sighed as she brought herself to Arceus.

"Let them have their fun," Arceus simply said. "I'm sure you would be acting that madly too if you were doing something you enjoyed, like showing off your attacks to others."

"I guess," Reshiram shrugged, failing to comprehend her brother's playfulness and addiction when it came to video gaming.

As Arceus was a busy Pokémon, he had to excuse himself from the group as he went off to handle other matters, such as making sure there were no threats that would occur during the holiday seasons. As ridiculous as it sounded, he indeed had to make sure there were no space-borne threats such as asteroids or meteors threating to devastate the Earth. It had happened in the past, and it was highly likely it would occur again in the near future.

"Is it really needed to keep up that much security?" Laia questioned as her master was about to return to his private residence. "You know that it's Christmas, so it's a time for you to simply lie back and enjoy yourself. I'm sure there are other legendaries that will be more than happy to take your place."

"It's not that easy, Laia," Arceus sympathized with the ascended Pokémon. "There are jobs that not even the Creation Trio is capable of handling despite their skills and strengths. Furthermore, I shouldn't be burdening them on what is supposed to be their time off. Now, I have to deal with some matters that require my immediate attention. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Good night, Arceus," the ascended Latias wished softly as she observed the Alpha Pokémon teleporting out of the living room and back into his private chamber. She flew back to the dining chamber in order to help out with the cleaning of the messes that had been made during dinnertime.

* * *

><p>"Well, I'll say, your belching and speed-eating skills were phenomenal," Dialga complimented, referencing Leon's antics during dinner as she levitated several dishes with telekinesis and sent them into a tray. "You haven't changed at all ever since we last met."<p>

She turned to the Lucario who was busily helping with the clean-ups and excused the Aura Pokémon. "You can take the night off, dear."

"Are you sure, mistress?" the Steel/Fighting-type asked uncertainly. "I don't need to go anywhere."

"It's fine. Let our guests clean up."

"Very well, then. I appreciate your kindness," the Lucario gave a small smile, bowed respectfully at the Temporal Goddess, and left the room.

The Pokémon Ranger laughed mareepishly as he proceeded to wipe up the ground with a wet floor mop, cleaning up spilled portions of gravy, drinks, or other food debris that had found their way to the ground in some manner. "You can say it's a talent I have," he muttered, dipping the mop into the bucket of water. "Don't you deities have better methods of cleaning?"

"It's not as easy as it looks," the Temporal Pokémon voiced. "Telekinesis is very straining on the mind, if you don't know that. I'm sure you realized that during the time you were part Latios, am I correct?"

The times when he had to utilize his powers as a Latios hybrid to fight the UAAF and Team Rocket gave him shivers. It was an exhausting, energy-draining and tough procedure doing so, as it meant one's mind had to be honed to the maximum potential. Latios managed to give him a little training to assist him in the process, but most of the time, he had to struggle on his own in order to seek his strengths and weaknesses. Ash was practically in the same position, but being part Typhlosion and having more backup to help him out in times of crisis than an important government official. Above all else, he was one of those who had to step up and help Ash whenever necessary. "Don't remind me. Using psychic powers is exhausting especially if you aren't born with it and in addition, only recently gained it. The best I can do is move heavy furniture, but after that, it felt like running half a mile."

Smiling, the Steel/Dragon-type Pokémon stacked another plate of filthy dishes in need of washing. "You'll get used to it. It just takes a bit of training, practice, and patience. You didn't perform too badly during the Uprising wars, so have a little confidence in yourself."

The Pokémon Ranger fidgeted nervously. "I couldn't be compared to Latios, though…"

Dialga smiled before she transformed into her human form as a way of sympathizing with her friend. "I'm not exactly too powerful in this form either. Latios is over five-hundred-years-old while you're a mere twenty, so give yourself some credit." She patted the human/Pokémon hybrid on the head gently. "So, do you have any plans for tonight?"

"No, why?" Leon asked as he continued to mop the ground while humming a tune as he did so. "I'm not going anywhere, so… well, say what you need to inform me about."

"I need a talk with you tonight. Don't worry, I'll make sure it's in privacy." She winked as she carried the dishes off to the kitchen that were in need of washing.

The Ranger raised an eye. He knew there was no way he could escape from this one, considering that he felt intimidated when talking to a supreme deity.

* * *

><p>As Dialga, Reshiram and Leon had assumed full responsibility of cleaning up the kitchen while recommending everyone else to go off and enjoy the evening, Ash and Larissa enjoyed the evening sitting on one of the balconies that overlooked the endless, enchanted voids of space that floated above the skies of Arceus's palace. The Alpha Pokémon's residence floated in the starry voids of nowhere, but due to advanced and divine technologies, it was fully cloaked from view of any prying eyes of human or alien (should there be any) satellites and probes. Only those who were allowed and trusted by Arceus were able to witness his starborne floating continent in all of its glory as an empire constructed from pure gold and crystals of all kinds. There was no atmosphere, but the marvels of Arcean knowledge and intelligence meant that anyone who Arceus chose to reside at his home would not need oxygen to survive. Gravity was still provided for convenience, though, as it was necessary to prevent objects from drifting in the air and off into the stars.<p>

From this position, the eight (previously nine) planets of the solar system could be seen drifting in the endless blank emptiness as they orbited the Sun. The couple spent their relatively private night lying back on several crystal-framed chairs and examined the stars above them. While one would cringe at the fact of lying on something that was harder than steel, the furniture was surprisingly softer than even the most expensive and comfortable bed on Earth.

"Say, is that the planet Jupiter?" Ash asked as he pointed to a distinct, peach-coloured stellar body with rings that encircled the planet with magnificence and radiance.

"_No, silly,"_ Larissa giggled as she corrected the still learning human's inquisitive, yet slow-paced mind. _"The planet you described is Saturn, and it's one of the most recognizable stellar objects given its rings. Jupiter is over there. It's the planet that has a combination of the colours orange, beige, brown, white and red."_ She pointed her right human hand at another stellar object that was quite distant from the one that her trainer had identified. _"That's Jupiter. It's the largest planet in our solar system."_

"Ah, okay," Ash remarked, still feeling a bit rusty with the study of interstellar objects. "What's that disc-shaped speck of light way over there in the depths of darkness? It really stands out among the stars for some strange reason."

"_That is the Andromeda Galaxy, the largest galaxy in the local group. The Milky Way, Andromeda, and Triangulum are the three star systems that belong in it,"_ the Eon dragoness answered with a slight tone of sadness. _"It is also one of the darkest places in our history as a race of legendaries… well… I prefer not to mention it. It's a sensitive topic, especially when it comes to Arcy. Especially when it comes to the Andromeda."_

Ash blinked in a confused manner. "Why? Is it because of something bad?"

"_I don't really want to talk about it. I might get in trouble if someone catches me,"_ she admitted sadly.

"I don't think Arceus would punish you for that… even if he does, I'll take the blame for you." The Pokémon Trainer stroked Larissa's hair gently and caringly, and the Pokémon happily rubbed her cheeks against his own in return. "I promise it."

_"Okay then. It's not like anyone will hear us."_ She began to explain with a smile, _"Well… to start off, the Andromeda Galaxy held the crown jewel of Arceus's ancestors. The entire galaxy was a sprawling empire that had all of its suns, planets, moons, and asteroids thriving with life as the gods and goddesses gave the gift of life to those space bodies, creating races and bringing prosperity to those who received their sentience and freedom from the Arceans. It was only overpopulation of the Andromeda that led to Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina being sent to the Milky Way, which is the galaxy we reside in, to expand to the same galaxy. There is another one: the Triangulum Galaxy, like I mentioned earlier." _Larissa pointed at a similar disc-shaped object at the other end of the sky. _"That was colonized too, but it's not of a particular importance as its planets are mainly inhospitable for natural reasons. It wasn't like it was necessary. The Creation Trio had managed to find many thriving and resource-rich planets in the Milky Way. It was there where they created Earth, and where our ancient Pokémon ancestors walked across the world."_ She giggled slightly at the vast knowledge that she possessed, but she had a knack of learning and studying history of all kinds.

"So Earth and the rest of the planets in the solar system were created by Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina?" Ash asked for clarification.

Larissa nodded. _"Yes. But only Earth and Mars were given life as they were the only planets that were suitable for moderate environments due to their just-right proximities from the Sun. Mew was solely in charge of breathing life onto barren wastelands, and it was not long until they were brimming with enriching life and prosperity. Not only that, but the trio were responsible for the creation and maintenance of time, space, and gravity itself. Giratina is also the administrator for the dead too. Because of her job, she is often regarded as the most feared and respected one."_

"I can understand that." Ash remembered the times where the only ones who were not intimidated by the Renegade Pokémon's presence were either other legendaries, or those who were directly associated with her as an ally. "She's really friendly, though."

"_She is. It's just in her nature to be so uncaring and cruel, but genuinely, she probably sees us all as honourable and courageous beings."_ Larissa then returned to her general explanation of how Earth came to be the blue planet that it was today. "_They created primitive life in the form of bacteria and microscopic creatures that would soon evolve into humans and the different types and species of Pokémon, but then left the planet for several million years as they had other administrative matters. As you see, the Primals, mainly, the original Pokémon assigned as guardians of the universe, only consisted of about a thousand. Four of them were Arceus and the Creation Trio. With the amount of planets out there… well, they'd have a hard time caring for all of them, so that's where the other legendaries came in. For example, Groudon and Kyogre were the ancient Pokémon that took care of the land and sea of Earth respectively. Rayquaza would act as the guardian of the stratosphere, showing up to stop conflicts whenever the two would fight. Lugia and Ho-Oh are the guardians of the sea and sky, respectively, and the legendary birds and beasts were born as their sub-commanders. Last but not least, Mew is the mother of all life on Earth."_ She paused to catch her mental thoughts of clearing up so much information, and lied comfortably against Ash's chest and feeling his soft heartbeats. Her being of affection's fragility yet enduring compassion, courage, and love towards her made Larissa want to hold the human/Pokémon hybrid in her arms and doze off into a state of sleep.

"Can you tell me more?" Hoping to avoid any awkward moments, the Pokémon Trainer urged the Psychic/Dragon-type to continue.

"_Oh, okay. Sorry I was distracted, but I was slightly dozing off. Anyways-"_ The Eon dragoness shifted herself back as she leaned next to Ash. _"-an age of prosperity began. Civilizations that started out as poor, primitive creatures with little knowledge and strength sprawled into empires that soon did not need the Arceans' guidance and support, but they mainly kept loyal. There were insurrections among many of the hundreds and thousands-perhaps millions-of races, but they were rather easily settled. It was mainly because they were corrupted with the desire to claim the gods and goddesses' power for themselves. However, there was one event that forever changed the fate of existence itself, and in addition, nearly brought to the downfall of the Arcean Empire entirely."_

Ash bit his lips. He had heard this before, but it was not exactly revealed in full details since the intergalactic war between Arceus and his fellow followers against a rogue race of corrupt beings was considered a sensitive issue. Nevertheless, he was curious to learn about it. "What happened?"

"Perhaps I can explain, for I am far more knowledgeable in the field," a dark voice interrupted. Both Ash and Larissa looked up, and saw the altered form of Giratina flying in and landing on the hockey arena-sized balcony without making a sound. She looked down at the young couple and smiled. "Hmm, getting intimate here, aren't we?"

"Good evening, Giratina," Ash greeted politely and in a tone of great respect. As he rose from his chair to greet her, but his "friend" had other thoughts on her mind at the moment.

"_Giri, I told you, he's mine!"_ Larissa shot mentally in defence before hugging her trainer tightly.

"Hey, can't a lady join the lovely couple for the night? After all, I'm only here to enjoy the spectacular view, but… since I heard how knowledgeable you were perhaps I should give you a break and tell you what happened after that." The Goddess of Death stretched her ragged wings slightly, the three red-coloured nail-like claws on each glowing faintly as she comfortably sat down. "May I do the honours?"

Easing off slightly, Larissa gave a nod of approval. _"Okay. But don't tell anyone about this, please!"_

"Why? Think Father might get angry at us? Well, what's done is done in history. It's the mistakes we learn from the past that helps us overcome challenges, less we make the same faults and errors over and over again." Giratina gave a diabolical grin. While some would say it was an act of malice, it was in the Ghost/Dragon-type's personality as she was, after all, born to look evil, cruel, malicious, deadly, or just about any negative term one could use to describe her.

"_I thought Lord Arceus might be displeased,"_ Larissa admitted sadly.

"No, he won't." Giratina shook her large-sized head. "Now, do you want to hear the story? I'd be glad to fill you in, as after all, I fought in that war and emerged as an honoured veteran."

Both Ash and Larissa nodded excitingly.

She proceeded to scratch her head slightly with one of her wings. "Well, how does it go… oh yeah! These last few trillion years have really taken a toll on my memories, but I'm not finished yet nor am I growing old!" the goddess joked in a dark, spiritual voice. "You've heard it before, but well… I'll tell it again as a good bedtime story. Regarding the war, the rogue planet, as Larissa put it, was Phaaze. We do not know where it came from, but we knew one thing. The planet was the source of a dangerous type of mutagen we called "the Great Poison" as anything, let it be mortal or deity that came into contact with it, would be transformed into a mindless, hideous zombie slave hell-bent on destroying anything that was still pure. In this case, targets that are free from the manipulation of… something."

"What is this… Phaaze anyways? I know it was a planet, but what was it?" Ash voiced up curiously, having forgotten the facts due to his relatively forgetful self.

Giratina sighed from the bitter memories of watching her Father and his ancestors' great empires and worlds they had so carefully constructed, crafted and perfected with their life energy and blood getting obliterated. "It is a planet that seemingly has a mind of its own. It only hungers for one thing, and that was other planets, suns, and any interstellar body that possesses sentient life it detects through means unknown - to devour and plague using the very same chemical it emits from its foul surface. We don't know what it exactly does, but to sum it up, it was a living virus that had to be eradicated through any means necessary. As you know already… the UAAF's corrupted Pokémon were direct products of the deadly liquid. The madman you know as Donald Zetta was responsible for the invasion of Alto Mare after we destroyed his homeworld and their leader, Entity Three. It was from there where we realized we made a grave mistake for letting an invader reach the crown jewel of the Milky Way - Earth." Even for the fierce and bitter Renegade Pokémon, the memories etched some tears from her eyes.

"_Hey Giri, it's all right. Please don't cry, as it makes me sad and downtrodden too,"_ Larissa persuaded as she felt the saddening emotions building up within the goddess. Negative thoughts, let it be from her or others, affected her greatly.

"I'm fine. Just that… these memories are sometimes difficult to discuss. Like how Jimmy and Leon told me of how they lost all their friends to the same monsters that brought the downfall of Father's ancestors and their empire." Giratina brought her left wing to her eyes and wiped some of the tears away. "It's only all the more punishing considering that there was little that could be done."

Ash sighed with remorse. They were stories that changed his life forever, as he had never lost someone close to him through death. "How did that happen, if you don't mind explaining? If it's too sensitive, that's fine. You don't have to tell us."

"It's perfectly okay, Ash." Giratina smiled at him before she heaved some heavy breaths to try and contain her tears, but quickly recomposed herself as she continued the story. "Phaaze was a planet we thought that was just a simple rogue planet given its construct and odd anomalies that we picked up, so we sent in small divisions of Pokémon to investigate, not expecting resistance as it somehow contained itself from all our supernatural senses. They lost contact before even reaching the surface, and before we knew it, trillions of Deoxys, like the same variant you knew personally as Donald Zetta, along with other magically and technologically-designed monsters, erupted from the planet as they begun to spread like wildfire among the universe, wiping out civilizations and worlds with lightning efficiency. Father's ancestors and their forces took the fight to them by attempting to contain the plague while eradicating as many natives from Phaaze as possible, but the numbers were too overwhelming and too powerful. The war lasted for several million years. During that time, Dialga, Palkia and I were responsible for some of the most important campaigns. While I was relatively successful, my siblings were not. In fact, Dialga was once captured and Palkia was wounded so severely that Father had to take the fight to them alone with some of his most trusted soldiers and bodyguards." The female legendary Pokémon stopped for a second before she turned to the stars. "It was the first time I saw my Father and siblings suffer such defeats."

"That's terrible," Ash quietly suspired, not being able to imagine such powerful deities would actually be brought down to their knees in a loss. "What happened next?"

"Shambolic campaigns that exploded across the cosmos," Giratina resumed. "The Andromeda was the first to fall, as Phaaze had teleported itself right outside the outskirts of our biggest empire. From there, it was only a matter of time before our once mighty kingdom, along with every follower we had blessed with our good wills, were destroyed. Solar systems after solar systems fell into chaos as they were subverted into wastelands of the toxin."

"_Didn't you try to save them?"_ Larissa chirped mentally. _"Given your powers, you would be instrumental in the battles that followed."_

"We did," Giratina answered as she stopped to sniffle a bit from the awful memories. "But with each planet we were able to purify, ten more fell to the corruption. Most of the time, the planets were far beyond corrupted that we had no choice but to initiate a scorched earth policy, as Palkia put it; basically, we would have to destroy the planet from orbit with our abilities and technologies. It was either that, or the denizens of the affected world would become reproductive agents for more of the poisoned kind. They would keep on coming, replacing every casualty with a hundred more, while we lost important figures that could never be replaced, mainly the generals, commanders, and officials of the Arceans."

Both Ash and Larissa got out of their extremely comfortable positions as they joined up with Giratina overlooking the balcony and towards the golden buildings, constructs and pillars of Arceus's kingdom. Larissa, in particular, was interested in knowing how they were able to survive and live on as the last Primals. _"How were you and your kind able to triumph over such evil?"_

Giratina lowered herself to her knees as she comfortably sat down on the gold-encrusted crystalline ground. "The last Arceans launched an all-out offensive to destroy the core of the problem, Phaaze itself and Entity Three, the proclaimed leader and nerve centre of the invaders. He was a heavily mutated and ancient Deoxys that was just as skilled and powerful in combat as Arceus or his ancestors. After losing every Primal, with some even falling under the influence of Entity Three's deadly mind and influence control, the last generals initiated a plan to lock away Phaaze forever in a time rift. From there, it would never threaten existence again. They were successful, but then, it was only after we knew some had escaped. With the help of Reshiram and Zekrom, two other important legendaries that were part of a different command chain, joined us on the hunt. We scanned and searched every corner of the universe, looking for anything that was plagued with the poison. If it was, we would either purify or destroy it. The latter was often the only choice, as we lacked the sufficient abilities, magic and technologies to save the ones who suffered terminal corruption."

"How was Earth affected by this war?" Ash requested, eager to know more about this dark, yet enriching history of existence itself.

Giratina deeply sighed, her dark-toned breathing noises giving both Ash and Larissa the uncomfortable chills. "One of them who escaped our detection was Donald Zetta and his group of Fallen Rangers. They crashed on Earth's moon after their capital ship malfunctioned, and their escape pod flew towards Earth and landed in Alto Mare. That was where your mother, along with her husband and other kin made their stand against them while she was still pregnant with you, Larissa." Giratina finished up as she lowered her gigantic build and focused her face on the small Eon Pokémon in her human form, feeling sympathy for the innocent and demure child of Laia.

"…from there, the Uprising war began," she carried on. "I never anticipated on having to fight them again, but then, it was obvious Zetta wouldn't be locked away so easily. Even the combined force of Lugia, Ho-Oh, Rayquaza, Groudon and Kyogre was not able to halt the invasion. In the process, Zetta and his attackers wounded them so severely; my siblings and I had to treat them extensively after. Even to this day, I am gratefully sorry to let Alto Mare be ravaged like that." It was from those events that led to the rise of the UAAF and how the military corporation, manipulated by Donald Zetta, a proclaimed industrialist, shrewd military tactician and charismatic diplomatic relations figure was able to plot and bring the inevitable downfall of Earth. The fact he was able to coerce a rogue faction of the Pokémon Ranger Corps through corrupt officials and rogue leaders from the Rangers only worsened the situation that that time.

Ash got angrier than ever just by hearing that vile man's name. He hated the man - or extraterrestrial virus manifested into a creature - just as much as he despised Giovanni or Ghetsis. The acts he committed were outright atrocious, from genocide of an innocent civilian population all the way to destroying entire solar systems just because there was resistance standing up against him. "How can someone do this?" he fumed angrily. This made Larissa clutch her arms around him in comfort as a way of quelling the young trainer's emotions.

"Please calm down, Ash," Giratina spoke in a surprising soothing voice. "He got what he deserved. He won't be posing a threat to our realm any much longer."

"_How many worlds have been lost to them?"_ Larissa perked up with a mix of curiosity and shock.

"Millions, perhaps billions. We do not know, but I can say countless races, cultures and civilizations have been wiped out by Entity Three's rampage and desire to destroy existence itself. The end result… well, Arceus, along with my siblings and I, are the last Primals alive. Mew is a direct descendant of them as she was the last child of Arceus's distant cousin, who perished during the battle in the Alpha Centauri system," the ghostly dragon creature concluded her story as she craned her head towards the stars, scanning the heavens as if she felt that relatives were still out there, somewhere. "Well, that's my story. It's the sacrifices that the likes of me make so that the universe does not have to live in a fate where they are forever doomed under the control of some tyrannical maniac with an attitude problem."

"I understand. We honour that," Ash admitted bravely.

Giratina chuckled at his comment and stroked the trainer across his body gently with one of her wings. "I wasn't saying you were taking life for granted. We know neither you nor any of your friends do. They have honoured us with their sacrifices too. Sure, they may be a little childish and dumb at times… but everyone needs to have fun once in a while. Am I not right, Larissa?" She stared at the Eon dragoness and twitched both of her eyes in a teasing manner. "I'm sure that you're dying to have some hot action with Ash!"

"_Uh, well…"_ Larissa fidgeted nervously, feeling her body temperature rise significantly due to the embarrassment she was undergoing. _"I'll only do so if Ash feels like he's ready for it. I'm not going to force him into any decision that makes him unhappy, uncomfortable, or anything,"_ she telepathed strongly to the Renegade Pokémon.

Ash stuttered. He knew what his future mate was speaking of, but even at the age of eighteen, he greatly couldn't seem to accept it the fact that it was inevitable. "Yeah, what she said. I'm not ready for it."

"Are you… serious? It's been two years already. I've seen demigods and demigoddesses get married at that age," Giratina deadpanned, wondering what was taking so long for Ash to mature. _"Perhaps he has brain damage or some dysfunctional disorder or something. Or it's just he's denser than the nebula clouds in the Oort region of the Milky Way."_

"I still have dreams to achieve, Tina!" the Pokémon Trainer reminded her. "Like being a Pokémon Master."

"We can always help you, you know," she offered. In a barely audible tone, she added, "Even though it does seem like cheating, to an extent." The Renegade Pokémon wondered why the trainer would never simply utilize Legendary Pokémon to help him in his conquest.

Ash shook his head. "All I need is Larissa with me, giving me all the necessary love and support along the way." He smiled as she hugged the dragon girl close to him, with Larissa blushing heavily but nevertheless hugging her trainer back lovingly. "I do appreciate your support, but I don't think I should really hold up your schedule. You're a busy goddess, as I can understand."

"That's very noble of you," Giratina complimented, looking down at the couple that were like the size of Rattatas from her point of view. "I like that in a human."

The Pokémon Trainer blushed a bit as a response to the Renegade Pokémon's comment, and Larissa hugged him tightly. _"It's alright, Ash! That was a compliment, it wasn't meant to embarrass you!"_

"It sure felt like it," Ash groaned.

The trio spent the rest of their night discussing past events and other topics of interest, and Laia kept a close eye on her daughter and Ash from the doorway that led to the balcony. Just seeing the normally dense and somewhat dimwitted trainer opening up to Larissa so quickly made her feel warm and comfortable, for she knew that Larissa would have someone willing to watch her for the rest of her life.

"My dear Larissa, it seems like only yesterday when you were a mere baby girl, requiring constant care from your troubled big brother…" Giggling to herself, she silently levitated back into the hallways to deal with other important things that had to be taken care of.

She just wondered how Latios was doing after two years of not being able to see her older son.

"Aww, isn't that a lovely scene?" a tiny voice came from behind the ascended goddess, just as she was about to depart.

Laia craned her head towards the source of the sound and noticed Mew giggling, and the Eon Pokémon smiled. "It sure is. But shouldn't you learn to respect one's privacy?"

"Privacy is boring!" Mew pouted.

Laia barely managed to stifle a chuckle as she demurely commented, "You… really haven't changed one bit, Mew."

* * *

><p>On another balcony of Arceus's palace, a lone Ranger quietly stared at the stars that shone above in the endless space above him. The floating continent was at its most distant position from the Sun in terms of orbit position, meaning that the glaring sunlight was no longer blocking out the countless stars that dotted the endless void. Standing firmly with both of his hands on his hips, he heaved a deep sigh as he kept his sights on the stellar objects, mentally naming whatever he was able to decipher out.<p>

"_That's the planet Venus, then Mars… then Jupiter, Neptune… the Andromeda Galaxy. An object that is practically billions of light years away can be seen even from Earth,"_ he thought deeply in his constantly thinking mind. _"They say light from the Andromeda takes billions of years to reach our Solar System, meaning… the light I am currently witnessing is billions of years old, during the times when Arceus and his ancestors fought for the survival of existence itself. Distance in light years is like a time machine-"_

"Still stressed out, soldier?" a calm and feminine voice interrupted Leon's thoughts.

He turned his head around and noticed Dialga walking forward in her Pokémon form. Although her footsteps and her gigantic weight would normally cause tremors, her motions only elicited gentle noises in the form of steel hooves clanking against the crystal surface of Arceus's construct. The Temporal Pokémon moved herself behind Leon with a gentle but intimidating looking grin. "Mind if I join you, like you promised me earlier?"

"Uh, sure." He found himself staring up at the Steel/Dragon-type's gigantic build, which scared him to an extent. "So, what did you want to talk to me about, like you mentioned earlier?"

To make socializing with the human/Pokémon hybrid easier, Dialga transformed into her human figure, minus the warm winter jacket as there was no need to wear it with the hospitable conditions that Arceus's realm provided for them. "It concerns your way of thinking."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Crossing her arms across her chest, Dialga gazed at the shining stars up in space, being able to name almost all of them. After all she was a creator deity that was involved in the creation of the elements of the universe. "Well… we have triumphed over what is possibly the last remnants of the one thing that drove existence itself into extinction, yet I can sense that you are still extremely insecure about the presence of new evil spawning out there. Even Lord Arceus himself isn't that paranoid regarding the future, so why should you be?"

"I appreciate your concern, Dialga," Leon said before he continued, "but you know the old saying: better be prepared than sorry. You never know what the future holds in store for us."

The Temporal Goddess laughed heartily at his reason. "Well, I _am_ the Goddess of Time, meaning the future to me is crystal clear. I can alter or freeze the future to my own desires."

"Then how come you didn't find some way to doom Donald Zetta before his company rose to power?" the Ranger questioned. "Surely, with your power… why didn't you erase his corporate butt from existence? That way, 80 per cent of the world population wouldn't have met their end and mankind wouldn't have to face extinction like the dinosaurs!" He was somewhat sceptical regarding why Arceus was not able to end the war just like that.

"…that is beyond my power, young one," Dialga explained with concern. "If the one you call Zetta and Entity Three were able to extinguish the ancestors of Arceus, I would only have been a bump in the road for them. It took eons worth of training for me and my siblings to stand even a remote chance against them." She leaned against the railings of the balcony and sighed. "You do not need to feel regretful that you failed in your duty as a Ranger to serve and protect the innocent of planet Earth. I should be. But sometimes, you have to let fate take its course as opposed to trying to bend it into something different." Due to her father disallowing major intervention on her part, the best she could do was to provide support in a manner that didn't potentially damage the future.

Leon gasped in a combination of surprise and shock upon hearing her comment. "But you're a creator deity! How is it possible that you can't change something clearly in your power?"

"In the end, we're still living beings, one way or another. You have much yet to learn," she chastised. "Deities may be powerful and immortal like the humans see them to be, but we are not without flaws. We are just more powerful than we seem to those smaller than us… like humans for instance."

"Well, considering how you so bravely fought against the UAAF Heavy Command Cruiser… we all owe you more than we could possibly grant you. Wish I could give something in return for your contributions…" the Ranger trailed off, remembering Dialga and Giratina's combined arms assault against the UAAF's ultimate flying command fortress. Ranging over a kilometre wide and around five hundred metres wide, the gigantic aerial battleship/aircraft carrier/superweapons platform/command centre hybrid dwarfed the UAAS series of battleships, which were already massive to begin with. During the final stages of the war, Donald Zetta attempted to use his trump card as a superweapon-launching platform against the world, not to mention as a safe house for his commanders and associates. Pokémon Ranger Corps intelligence had tracked down this flying behemoth as the last few resistance of the UAAF once the war took a turn in the tide in favour of the philanthropic human forces and Legendary Pokémon. Given its high altitude, only Dialga and Giratina possessed the capabilities to fly that high to combat the command fortress - Palkia, Reshiram and Zekrom were caught up in other campaigns of liberating important landmarks on Earth with the humans, meaning they were out of the question. Support from the human militaries was minimal as only specialized fighter aircraft were capable of tackling the fortress from such a high altitude. Nevertheless, Dialga and Giratina were able to bog down the gargantuan war machine with their efforts, which led it to being encircled by reinforcing human air forces and eventually brought down from the sky. The destruction of the Heavy Command Cruiser effectively brought the UAAF's strategic arms and tactics to a standstill, as the loss was something they were never able to recover from.

Dialga gave a cute giggle as she lovingly ruffled the Ranger's black-coloured hair. "Aww, that's very kind of you. No, you don't owe me anything. The bravery, courage, nobleness, defiance and kindness of you and your allies is all we need. It honours our ancestors' creed and if they were alive today, they would be gratefully proud that there are those who carry on their dreams and wishes to this day."

"Do you think so?" Leon asked, feeling rather unsure. "I feel like I didn't really do much. You and your kin could brush aside entire armies like they were scrap paper, while… well, the likes of me could barely hold back against a single tank advancing on our position."

"For one thing, you sure don't feel and sound as confident as your older brother, Kellyn," Dialga scolded, disappointed as to why this young man wasn't giving himself enough credit for his contributions. She brushed the bangs of her shoulder-length blue-coloured hair out of her face, and shrugged. "The young man is very optimistic and strong-willed, regardless of the situation at hand."

Turning to her with widened eyes, the Ranger couldn't believe she actually figured out about his connections even though he never told her about it. "How… how did you know Kellyn was my older brother?"

"I have my ways," the Temporal Goddess vaguely responded. "Like I was saying, Kellyn may not be a chosen one like Ash, but he definitely fights like one. He does have connections with Legendary Pokémon, such as Darkrai. Hasn't he told you?"

"I haven't seen him in… years. Five, to be exact," Leon confessed, feeling gratefully sorry for not paying his older brother a visit, who happened to be a far more successful Pokémon Ranger than he would ever hope to be. "At least he survived Entity Three's assault of Earth."

"Why don't you visit him then? I know you miss him greatly, and I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again, now that you're quite the renowned Ranger," Dialga recommended with a warm smile across her face.

Leon took off the fingerless gloves that he would always wear on his hands wherever he went and gave his hands and palms some fresh air. "I don't have the time. For example, I have new move orders to comply with right after the first week of January, while I'm spending the majority of my Christmas break with Ash and his friends." He paused for a second and didn't feel like continuing, although the Temporal Pokémon changed that all around in an instant.

"Please continue," she requested in a blunt but caring voice.

Gulping, Leon admitted why he didn't want to exactly see Kellyn again. "I don't really want to see him. His successes greatly dwarf my own as he's a Top Ranger - technically, the equivalent of a commando. My mom would also be greatly disappointed too, considering her older son is such a success while her younger one hasn't even got past the rank of Corporal even after ten or so years in the PRC."

"Ah, the typical feeling of unworthiness," Dialga muttered sadly. "Why would you feel that way? Just because you think like that doesn't mean others do too. Look at me. I'm regarded as an important figure for Lord Arceus and here I am, spending my time talking with you and in my human form too. That's a treat that I would rarely give to anyone, as many would see me as another pleasure toy for them." She rolled her eyes as she remembered all the lustful males that wouldn't keep their eyes off of her when she went shopping with Jimmy. "Take Jimmy, for example. He treats you like a brother! When they were out of stock of Extermination Warrior 4 games, he was throwing such a tantrum that I had to, well… threaten the clerk to ensure they had more in stock."

"I just want to be as good as everyone else," Leon sighed as he leaned back against the balcony's railings. "Not the best, but…well, you know, just as good. Ash is just outright popular with the girls, Jimmy's got a good sense of humour that has him loved by the likes of Palkia and Zekrom alike. Me? Everyone thinks I'm either invisible or, well…just not there." He heaved a tired sigh and wondered if anyone even actually appreciated his Christmas presents.

"You technically are a bit close-minded and strict." Dialga smiled. "Perhaps if you open up… others will think you're friendlier and actually attempt to talk to you."

"Yes, but the thought of losing them hurts my mind. So in general, I try not to make new friends," the Pokémon Ranger answered in reply.

The Steel/Dragon-type paused for a second to remember his words that he had told her two years ago. "You told me that before… was it because in the Rangers, friends come and go?"

"Close ones too. Ones that you have spent months, perhaps years, fighting, living, laughing, eating, socializing, and spending time with. In just a moment, that can all change. They can either be captured or killed by the enemy, or they are discharged because of critical injuries they suffered," Leon admitted in a downtrodden sense.

Wishing to sympathize with the human, Dialga wrapped her right hand around his shoulder. "Well, you can quit the Rangers, if you want to… I'm sure Arceus would be grateful to accept you as one of his human followers and apprentices. If that doesn't happen, I'll gladly take you under my care."

Leon smiled. "It's okay. My time isn't up yet. Even if that's the case, Ash and Jimmy deserve the position more than me. But I appreciate your kindness and willingness to help me. Thanks for the talk. It really helped."

"I'm just happy to be able to help. Don't worry about it." Dialga winked at him sweetly. "Life may be difficult, but just remember that there are the likes of me, my siblings and other deities who are always there to help you whenever you need it. So, did you have a fun time?"

"I sure did!" the Ranger answered in an upbeat mood. "It's been a blast!"

"Happy you enjoyed Father's hard work of organizing all of this." She leaned closer to Leon before giving him a warm hug. "Merry Christmas."

Smiling, the teenage boy enjoyed her embrace as he hugged the surprisingly soft human body of Dialga's in reply. "I wish you the same."

"So, will you be staying?" Dialga asked once she retracted from the hug.

"Definitely," the twenty-year-old boy replied happily. "The same goes for all the friends of mine that tagged along."

The Temporal Dragoness smiled at her human ally before rubbing the latter's hair playfully. "Perfect. At least we'll get to know them more."

* * *

><p>"Alright! That's my fiftieth win for this night, beat that!" Jimmy shouted in such excitement that he literally jumped out of his bean bag chair and toppled over by complete accident. "…I shouldn't have done that."<p>

"You're just insane, Jimmy!" Zekrom protested. "How can you possibly be better than Palkia and I? Unless… you didn't rig the game, did you?"

"Maybe I'm just that good?" the Pokémon Trainer shot back in reply as he picked himself up to his feet and rejoined the two other Legendary Pokémon in their late-night video gaming session. After wasting three hours straight playing the new game Super Smash Deities 4, Jimmy's reflexes and skills in fighting games easily helped him rack up an impressive fifty wins, while Palkia and Zekrom only managed to win seventeen and twelve games respectively. Even though the other two Legendary Pokémon were quite the video gaming hobbyists and loved to play fighting games too (such as God Fighter 2 and Immortal Combat), they were not that skilled enough compared to Jimmy. Despite the losses, they enjoyed the evening with the human trainer as they burned their energy and strength in a giant gaming marathon in the Hall of Origins' living room.

"Well, I don't know about you, but being gods, we barely have thirty minutes a day to play," Zekrom defended his reason for being so lacklustre. "It's only times like Christmas and summer vacation that allows us to have plenty of free time to play all night and not give a zap."

Palkia gulped down a bottle of beer before belching loudly. "I'm hungry again, you guys up for some BBQ wings or something like to that? I guess that dinner didn't really please my stomach all that much."

Both Jimmy and Zekrom were beyond full, especially after the meal they had consumed the savouring desserts that consisted of cheesecake, jello, ice cream, milkshakes, and all the candy that Mew had given them as an after-dinner treat. If one were to force both males to take another bite from a full-course meal, it was likely they were going to puke from all the food they were having.

"I think I'll pass," the Deep Black Pokémon groaned as he displayed an expression as if he was about to puke. "I've had so much that I probably wouldn't need to eat for the next two weeks!"

Jimmy undid the button to his pair of knee-length jean shorts and his oversized belly plopped out like an overflowing garbage bag. "I'm going to regurgitate my dinner if you mention food again."

"Aw, come on you two! Where's your holiday spirit?" Palkia complained as he jumped on top of the crystal-decorated coffee table in the gaming room. "If anything, we need another eating contest! We're supposed to be stuffing ourselves until we explode during Christmas, you know that?"

Jimmy remembered Dialga's words during the times when he went shopping with the Temporal Goddess. "Isn't it about giving? You're the first one to say it's all about food."

"Well, I can't resist," the Spatial Pokémon laughed. "It's the times when Dialga and Reshiram provide us with so much food that it feels like heaven. It's also the only time when we don't break out in an argument for once!"

Zekrom groaned. "Don't remind me. At least my sis doesn't try to give me third degree burns on those occasions."

"Guys, Arceus says it's time for bed," a feminine voice announced. All three males turned to the door and saw Laia joining the trio. "You should all rest up for tomorrow, as there are even more events that he's organized."

"Aw, Laia!" Palkia groaned. "It's only 11:30PM! Zekrom and I usually don't go to sleep until like five in the morning! Right, Jimmy?"

"Well, you should respect the young one's decision to get some rest." She gestured to Jimmy with one of her claws, the dark-haired boy yawning lazily and trying to stay awake after playing for three hours straight. Resembling the undead, the flashing lights from the movie screen-sized monitor were putting him into a state of trance as he had difficulty trying to stay to his senses. "Can't you be a little considerate and let him get some rest?"

Fidgeting slightly, Zekrom wanted to play even more with Palkia - that way, he would be able to get some good practice from the new game and hopefully best Jimmy on another day. "Can't Palkia and I stay up tonight? We never said anything about not letting Jimmy go to bed!"

"No," Laia scolded as she placed her claws on her hips. "Your noises are disturbing our other guests, so please be a pair of good boys and go to sleep. You can always resume your partying tomorrow morning."

Both Palkia and Zekrom groaned at the fact of going to sleep early - that was, if one could call thirty minutes to midnight an early time, as their hyperactive behaviour and excitement of the party had them extremely pumped up. Although they were reluctant to comply, they respected the ascended Latias greatly and went along with her request to go to sleep early. Calling it a day, both legendary dragons switched off the Wii console and returned to their respective rooms in Arceus's palace.

"Wow… they really respect you, don't they?" Jimmy acknowledged. "You're nowhere near the power of those two, yet they comply as if you're their parental figure."

"Yep!" She smiled with a cute wink. "The fact I'm a mother greatly helps with dealing with them too, even if they're older than me by millions of years!"

She was just glad that this Christmas celebration had gone so well and that everyone had enjoyed it. It was her only wish that she really wanted to come true, being able to see her compatriots and friends gather in such a friendly atmosphere and kick off the festivity with plenty of fun, laughter, and enjoyment.

* * *

><p><em><strong>That's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed my fic as much as I loved writing it. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, so play it safe, don't drink and drive, and spend some quality time with your family and friends!<strong>_

_**Before we call it a wrap, let's thank my beta for his work. He's been grateful enough to proofread my fic and improve it, even though he's still busy with university and only has a week off compared to *some* people who have over three weeks! Without regards, I hope you all have a happy 2012 that's days ahead of us.**_

_**-Soldier of the Future**_


	3. Preserving Peace

_**Well, it's Christmas once again. Who knew this year would go by so quickly? Just last year, this special has been the longest one-shot (or two-shot if you're nitpicky) that has ever been established by me. However, as this fic is currently a rough celebratory sequel of Pokémon Heroes: Uprising, it means that this story did not supposedly cover all the characters that are intended to be introduced. For one thing, I got…lazy (it's difficult having to write for an entire cast, duh!) and didn't really shed too much light into the characterization of other legendary Pokémon such as Reaper, Epsilon, and various other characters that I have planned. Well, this is exactly what part three of this story is. It expands a bit to accommodate the new characters that are soon to arrive in my main story.**_

_**A warning before you jump in: there will be no peace, no celebration, and no happiness for the characters here. This year's Christmas is different!**_

_**I don't own Pokémon or any of the characters that don't belong to me here. I've also uploaded a new piece of cover art for my story. The picture is by shadowhatesomochao from Deviantart and I have received permission from the artist to use the image. Thanks once again for granting me the permission!**_

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><p><strong>We Wish you a Legendary Christmas! (Part 3): Preserving Peace<strong>

"_Celebrate? I barely have time to catch sufficient sleep these days, even during the holiday seasons." –anonymous Pokémon Ranger_

"_A fire will rise. And we will be there to extinguish it." –anonymous Arcean soldier_

**Hall of Origin, One Year Later**

One year had passed ever since the last Christmas celebration that Arceus hosted in his prestigious haven of the divine. The year was fairly uneventful; the world was still undergoing reparations, remnants of the enemy were being snuffed out, and most if not all of the veterans of the previous war received their much-needed rest after their contributions approximately three years ago.

The holiday season was once again approaching rapidly and as most of the visitors to the Hall of Origins were able to visit and spend their holiday seasons celebrating at the kingdom of the legendaries during their impressive stay at the divine palace, Arceus couldn't help but wonder how the others that he had invited to the celebration but had their own reasons of declining the invitation were doing. This brought a great amount of stress upon the Overlord's shoulders as he wished to see his followers feel relaxed for once in their lives. _"I don't mean to sound like a grump or anything, but it does not please me one bit that so many were not able to make it to the event. Sure, Dialga, Palkia and Giratina are not attending this year because they had their own reasons to attend to their kingdoms, but they have their explanations. I really wonder how they're doing for these last few months."_

Earth was still under a reconstruction phase and while the menace that legendaries, mortal Pokémon, and humans had all feared was now nothing more than content and research material in the historical archives of both mankind and deities alike, it was clear to him that the planet would have a long way to go in terms of restoring itself to the life-filled blue planet it once was. In a world where governments were toppled and law was barely holding itself together, it was a land of dreams for outlaws and corrupt figureheads alike. _"I do understand that the Pokémon Ranger Corps and the Kanto Defense Force are constantly battling these threats and I appreciate that they do not require too much of our help. But as long as there is civilization, there will be rampant corruption ready to destabilize it."_

His thoughts were interrupted seconds later as a familiar face, one that he was all too acquainted with, darted through the front doors of the Hall of Origins like a haywire missile and flew right up to his face.

"_May fate have mercy on me because I can expect her to interrogate me with countless questions that can't be answered…"_ the Pokémon god groaned tiresomely inside his heavily burdened mind. He was anticipating on dismissing the rather talkative New Species Pokémon from his presence quickly. "What brings you here, Mew? I thought you were supposed to be teaching Ash on how to manipulate his newfound powers at the Tree of Life in Kanto."

"Trying to change the subject again? I can see that you're not following my instructions of calming your heart down again!" Mew pouted, a displeased expression written on her petite-looking face. "What did I tell you about being stressed out, Arcy? And I heard that you said I was annoying! I'm only concerned about your mental well-being lately," she expressed as a way to defend the reason why she was always constantly bugging the Alpha Pokémon.

"The definition of stress varies among different types of individuals," he recited with a noble voice before surrendering the notion of trying to stop the mother of all life on Earth from badgering him with a constant bombardment of questions. "What may be a great burden to your mind may not be for me and vice versa."

"If I was in your position, I'd be much more upbeat and positive with each day that passes. Are you growing that old to the point where you need a temporary replacement?" Mew teased as she tried to hide and stifle her giggles with her tiny paws.

Arceus rolled his eyes. "That is certainly not an amusing statement. Perhaps when you're my age, you'll understand why."

Mew happily flew up to the top of Arceus's head before settling herself down comfortably. "I can sympathize with the situation at hand, but dwelling on it isn't going to help. It's good to speak out your heart to someone who can understand you, like me!"

"Fine, I'll tell you," the Pokémon that had the capability to adapt to any typing informed with a tone of surrender. Mew then proceeded to wait patiently as the supreme legendary started his explanation on why things were so difficult for him to handle for the last few days.

The Alpha Pokémon breathed deeply before answering the pint-sized legendary with, "Mew, you do know that this is an important celebration that is a part of our ancient traditions. For the last several billion years, my ancestors would gather themselves together as a way of providing gratitude to their family and friends alike. I did not personally force anyone against their will to attend, but you do understand that they could use a break right now and I do wish to thank them for their contributions they've made for us all." He took mental note of the various individuals that had missed the Christmas event before turning his vision to Mew once again-perhaps he could garner some information and somehow provide them with a token of appreciation. "Mew, can you bring me up a detailed list of why some individuals did not show up to the event both this year and last year?"

"Oh, so that's the reason? Hmm, perhaps you do need a replacement to take your spot sometime, because all of this management is definitely starting to take a toll on your physical and mental self." Mew raised an eye before releasing a small giggle to comply with Arceus's request. "And sure!" She quickly pulled out a mental list and began brief yet detailed explanations as to why some of the individuals that were invited failed to attend the event that was well over a week ago.

Although most of Arceus's subordinates, followers, and disciples managed to find some time off to participate in the Christmas festivities that the Alpha Pokémon and the last successor of the ancient Arceans had placed so much time and effort into organizing, a good majority were not able to participate in the event. While the last two weeks of December were supposed to be a time where no one had to work, this was not always the case for a certain number of individuals that were dedicated to certain tasks that kept them busy during the last few weeks before the New Year arrived.

Leon's older brother, Kellyn, was among one of those individuals that were unable to attend. As a prime Pokémon Ranger representative that possessed great command influence and assumed the responsibility of finishing all the required paperwork and other duties that his commanders had assigned him, he was far too occupied to attend the festivity that Arceus had personally invited him to. However, he always understood that there would be another time that he would be able to travel to the Hall of Origins and simply let his spirit free for once in his life.

Reaper, the specialized ancient Latios that was among one of the first individuals to survive being corrupted during the ancient invasion of Alto Mare and an emissary for Giratina herself, disliked social events. He preferred to spend his times alone while coldly staring at the endless horizons of the Pacific Ocean from one of the secluded islands off the coast of Kanto and Johto. Loud music, boisterous play, and gluttony were traits of a party that he certainly did not enjoy. This was the same for Mewtwo as he would rather prefer to celebrate his free time in seclusion from his classified haven on New Island, the location of a former Team Rocket genetics research facility that was abandoned and demolished several years ago.

Then there was Epsilon, the "adopted" Deoxys that served gratefully under the Arcean Empire after his acceptance into Arceus's ranks. Because he was one of the few DNA Pokémon that was truly clean of the Great Poison that plagued most members of his species, this made him a unique individual as he eventually fought against his masters after he discarded Entity Three's beliefs of complete intergalactic apocalypse and damnation. His eventual defection and rescue from his former masters meant that he was accepted rather easily into the legendary ranks, but this was met with great opposition from the more ancient members, such as Dialga and Palkia. The gentle-mannered Deoxys didn't let this bother him one bit as he continued to serve with distinction.

Riley, one of the last few Aura Guardians in existence, spent his holiday working with Cynthia with restoration programs and volunteer efforts to restore the Sinnoh region. The prefecture was absolutely devastated by the Uprising War and while it was the least affected since the UAAF and Team Rocket focused most of its efforts and operations into Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, it still required a great amount of labour to restore the province in the north. The trainer eventually departed to the Tree of Beginning with Ash and Latias, where he was responsible for training the human/Pokémon hybrid originating from Pallet Town, with the latter training to accept the task of becoming a fully-fledged legendary Pokémon. To this end, Raine replaced Riley in the recovery effort as the Pokémon Trainer, later revealed to be a Team Rocket manufactured clone, assisted Cynthia in rebuilding Sinnoh with vast sums of money won through Pokémon League tournaments. Erlade, a Pokémon that was the end result of the experiments by the UAAF and Team Rocket, also remained in Sinnoh to provide aid relief and support for the clean-up operations that were being managed by the Pokémon Rangers and the Kanto Defense Force's subdivisions.

Finally, there was the enigmatic Zephyr. While little was known about his life and the legendaries were keen on preserving the privacy of those who did not wish to have their lives revealed and documented, it was discovered that the dark-oriented Pokémon Trainer from the distant region of Unova did not exactly have a pleasant childhood life. Nevertheless, Mew knew he was somewhere in Unova or Orre, continuing his ever-desired hunt of those who were responsible for most of the misery on Unova's minor populations. It was quite difficult trying to keep track of someone who chose to lay low from both mortal and immortal sights.

"That's the list. It seems like our friends are a bit busy lately so I guess that sums up the reason why so many left so early or never showed up to begin with," Mew concluded after projecting the descriptions into Arceus's ancient, calculating, and wise mind. "Of course, you do know that Lugia, Ho-Oh, Kyogre, Groudon and Rayquaza did not show up as they are the Administrators and Guardians of the Earth. It's not exactly a good idea to leave your position where your absence can result in uncontrolled and wild climates!"

Arceus chuckled mildly at her amusing comment. It was true-the five Guardians of the Earth, each representing an element, had very little time on their hands for leisure activities. While the Creation Trio embodied the very elements of the universe itself and were able to control their very essence from their bodies, the Administrators could not. They were constantly busy and even if a single member was absent, the stability of Earth's environments would be disturbed. If the issue was left alone, there was a good chance of apocalyptic changes that would devastate the planet. This was the issue learned during the Uprising War: after Team Rocket and the United Aerospace Armed Forces successfully imprisoned Lugia, Ho-Oh, and Rayquaza with their shackles of corruption and the Great Poison, Earth began to fell into a decline as violent weather and climate change overtook the planet. Because of this, the Arceans immediately launched several operations to assist the humans and their Pokémon allies before the situation spiraled too much out of hand.

"Ah, well that's something I cannot change but I suppose a thank you gift to them will suffice," Arceus settled in negotiation. "As much as I would like to invite them here, a gigantic storm the size of an entire country devastating entire human nations is not something I wish to hear about during this time of the year."

As the two legendaries continued their conversation with each other, a stream of images that kept track of important members under Arceus's command soon floated into existence against a star-littered void of nothingness. These images were often projected as situations that required immediate attention or were simply just events out of the ordinary that the legendaries or their human allies were experiencing.

"Hey, check this out!" Mew pointed out as one of the drifting images that circled around the Hall of Origin caught her attention. It was currently displaying a rather violent situation that was unfolding in the peaceful Ocean Metropolis of Alto Mare. Two Pokémon Rangers were currently in pitched combat against an unknown enemy as the former were locked in a snowmobile chase against the outlaws along the surface of the frozen water canals. "It looks like the so-called descendants of Noriko are really answering the call to responsibility, even during the holiday hours." She stared at the chase scene that Kellyn and Leon were participating in, the two Pokémon Rangers periodically ducking behind the protective transparent shield of their vehicles and shooting at their targets with submachine guns. "Oh that looks so fun!" she squealed with delight.

Arceus sighed in a rather downtrodden fashion upon hearing the mention of the now deceased heroine-the last human being that had managed to fully gain his trust before the arrival of Ash and his companions. While the Alpha Pokémon had given the ancient samurai a chance for immortality, the great unifier of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh and later on, the defender of the four regions against Entity Three's massive invasion of Earth, wished to move on to the afterlife after she grew old, weary, and tired of conflict. Arceus and the other legendaries certainly did not reject her choice and as a result, she was put to rest peacefully and her body and legendary armor was preserved in one of the most sacred sepulchres in Arceus's realm of the immortals. Two of Noriko's most entrusted (and surviving) generals of ancient Ransei, Kenshin and Mitsuhide, stayed on guard duty as they protected her tomb from any potential infiltration-while it was theoretically impossible for anyone to penetrate into the realm of the gods and goddesses, one could never be too careful. Arceus was willing to take advanced steps to make up for the blunders that had caused his followers to suffer for his mishaps in the past. _"Noriko, a fine example of how a young child can grow up to become a fair-mannered yet fierce heroine…"_

"Are you missing her, Arcy?" Mew asked as she scanned Arceus's mind without permission. Since the New Species Pokémon always worried for the health of the Alpha Pokémon, she would often break some rules just to ensure that everything was alright.

"A bit," Arceus pronounced with a partially tired voice. "She brings back memories of an age where humanity would unite and take up resistance against a common threat, a time where survival was a collective trait. Today, it's all about survival for the benefits."

Mew had to partially agree with her father, especially after surveying most of mankind's behavior lately. As the human race became more reliant on technology and pursue of individual happiness, the desire for greed and personal benefit began to plague the species like a never-ending virus that would multiply to unprecedented levels. Even after the Uprising War, most of Earth's civilization failed to learn its lessons and thus, it was only a matter of time before they would annihilate each other once again. "History repeats itself. Just like how Ho-Oh abandoned the Sacred Tower in Johto, it is a sign that mankind has a lot to learn about the fact they can coexist with us and Pokémon peacefully…it's just the leaders that refuse to accept that proposition."

"Yes," a resentful Arceus approved of her words. His eyes were locked onto the image of Kellyn and Leon chasing the criminals across the frozen canals of Alto Mare. "I can say…those two Pokémon Rangers are about to teach those dunderheaded humans a lesson that those who attempt to disrupt the balance of peace will pay the price."

Although both legendaries currently viewing the scene disapproved of the notion of killing, this was an exceptional point. The pair of divine beings knew these individuals on the run from the Pokémon Rangers were ex-soldiers from Team Rocket. After their inevitable downfall, they managed to find jobs under the employment of various companies. Ranging from private military firms to splintered criminal organizations attempting to make a quick buck in a recovering world, there was never a better time to cause chaos when law enforcement was at its weakest.

Unfortunately, they never anticipated on facing the descendants of Noriko, the ancient heroine that was the last recorded human being to fully earn Arceus's trust in an age when Earth was plagued with war, famine, conquest, and death.

In another scene presented by the drifting projections, another image projected a friendly competition between three legendary Pokémon that attempted to best each other in a match to see who was the better fighter overall. The final image depicted a young boy in training with a Lucario, two legendary Pokémon, and another youth in his early twenties that bore a great resemblance to Sir Aaron, the legendary Aura Knight.

"This is also crystal-clear evidence of how they're all fit to join us!" Mew added.

"…what? Can you repeat that?" Arceus requested, his mind focused on some other subject of matter while the Psychic-type legendary was providing him an explanation of accepting future recruits.

"Just watch and you'll know why. For now, let's see how our Pokémon Ranger friends perform on their mission to repel threats in Alto Mare," she continued, ignoring the Alpha Pokémon's statement without a second thought.

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><p><strong>Alto Mare<strong>

The Water Capital that was considered the sacred shrine of the gods and goddesses themselves was a favorite vacation spot for tourists and Pokémon Trainers alike. In spite of its lucrative attractiveness for those who wished for a clean getaway from the everyday stresses of life, it was also a superlative destination for illegal criminals that participated in the arms trade and Pokémon theft given the wealthy population that lived there. And it certainly was an eventful day when an unidentified crime syndicate sent a sizable force of its goons to attack the Alto Mare Ranger Naval Base-since most of the Rangers was on holiday leave, there was minimal security available to protect the floating paradise of Alto Mare aside from the local police force.

"They picked a good day to attack Alto Mare. Out of all the days they can invade, they strike when they believe their chances of success are at their highest," the brown-haired figure spoke coldly, his gloved hands wrapped around the handles of his snowmobile. "And they'll pay dearly for desecrating the peace of this sacred city."

"I agree, although bringing along some backup from higher positions wouldn't hurt," the younger sibling of the duo commented. "But should I shift into my-"

"No. It's not exactly to fight in that form in such cold weather. And we also promised him that we'd let him enjoy his break while we carry the load of defending this city!" The individual pointed his MP5K submachine gun and drew a bead on his nearest target, but he was promptly forced back down to cover behind the windshield as the escapees began to fire at them again.

"I understand. Now let's give them a taste of how we serve up justice! Watch your back, brother!"

The Almian Pokémon Ranger at the rank of Warrant Officer smiled with a mixture of pleasure and sadism before giving his younger brother a thumbs-up.

The two Pokémon Rangers were visiting their friends in Alto Mare prior to their departure to Unova for another deployment, but the passive moment was interrupted when they received a call of an ambush by unknown perpetrators at the base. Since they were the only two that were on-call, they had no choice but to accept the task. And now, they were proving to the bandits that crime does not pay, especially when there were two accomplished off-duty Rangers chasing them down like a pair of rabid Arcanines pursuing a thief that had just mugged its beloved master and had its mind focused on repaying the criminal with blind rage.

"Hurry the fuck up! Those Ranger dogs will turn us into burnt flesh if we don't move our asses!" a gunner onboard one of the four snowmobiles urged as he unloaded his submachine gun onto a pair of incoming vehicles of the same type, except they were the ones with the Pokémon Ranger Corps logo emblazoned on their sides.

The driver of the same vehicle revved the engine before hitting top speed. "Shit, we sure picked a good day to attempt to use Alto Mare as a smuggling point for these weapons…PTI's probably just too afraid to handle this situation on their own with their own avaricious private military corps."

"I don't care! The only thing that matters is that we get back to the warehouse and provide the access codes for the stolen KDF tanks and Armored Mobility Suits, along with that dormant Future Tank X-0 prototype! Then we'll make that salad-haired kid cough up his money for the shit we always do for him!" the gunner yelled once again, reloading his automatic machine pistol with a fresh magazine.

"Couldn't the CEO of Pokémon Tech Industries wait for another day? I mean, out of all the days we could have chosen, it has to be the day when two veterans of the Uprising War are in the city!" the pilot complained tirelessly while ducking his head to avoid a flurry of bullets that whizzed inches above his head. Seconds later after he concluded his sentence, he heard a pained yelp entering his ears from his compatriot in the back seat and when he turned, he was no longer there.

He was shot directly in the heart and killed instantly-this caused the man to dismount from the vehicle before rolling onto the icy surfaces of the canal.

"_Shit, shit, shit! I've lost him! This piece of crap can't go any faster, Arceus damn it-"_

The driver did not have any time to finish any of his thoughts as the distinctive sound of a typewriter going off rattled into the cold post-afternoon air. Several rounds drilled into his body like nails being driven into wood and killed almost instantly, he lost control of his snowmobile before it slammed into the concrete sides of the waterways as the vehicle exploded violently as a result of its fuel tank rupturing upon collision. This left three more snowmobiles, all of which were in desperate condition to escape after they learned of the identities of their pursuers. Both the Ranger riders sped past the burning mechanical carcass as they resumed their pursuit-they were positive that their commanders would clean up the mess later. _"HQ is so going to question me for this again, but they somehow can't understand that law enforcement in this era requires superior firepower and violence to resolve."_

"This blows dead Noctowls," the squad leader spat in disgust, reloading his stolen M4 carbine rifle as he unloaded a full magazine at the siblings' snowmobiles without scoring a single hit. "PTI mentioned that there would be no Rangers in this city and now we've got two of them that'll do Arceus knows what to us!" He took a momentary view at the destroyed snowmobile that was burning in flames and hoped that the sorry bastards that fell so quickly would receive Giratina's mercy. "Alright, so how long until we reach the warehouse that's containing all the surplus KDF and Ranger hardware?"

"About fifteen minutes," the riders of another fleeing snowmobile replied via the radio. "But we're not going to accomplish anything if these two snotty-nosed brats continue to harass us! Send them face-first into the ice already!"

"Then take them out! Less talk, more shooting!" the third snowmobile's shooter yelled, throwing away his empty submachine gun before pulling out a .44 magnum revolver and blindly firing it at Kellyn's snowmobile, the heavy firearm discharging several gold-colored bullets that could easily blow a human's head clean off.

Kellyn gritted his teeth as he ducked for cover against the bulletproof windshield as the high-caliber bullets flew by him while some shots inflicted spider web-like marks on the composite plastic buffer. All he could deduce with his eyes now past the moderately-blinding blizzard was the faint blips of the snowmobiles in front of him and the periodic muzzle flashes from the weapons that the soldiers of fortune continued to unload onto both him and his brother. He was just grateful that he and his younger sibling received a new type of firearm that didn't require reloading-all they needed to do was wait until the gun's magazine recharged itself and they would be able to continue shooting again.

As Kellyn was forced to slow his vehicle down as a means of putting some distance between his quarries since the Sword of Deimos snowmobiles' shooters were all focused on taking him out, it gave Leon an opportunistic chance to quickly speed up in preparation to perform a drive-by attack on the criminals that had the nerve to break into one of the most secure naval bases in the Kanto and Johto prefectures. Speeding up his vehicle as he aligned himself with one of his intended targets, he announced the Ranger's order for the enemy to lay down their arms.

"This is the Alto Mare Pokémon Ranger Corps and Law Enforcement Division. You are to lay down your arms, exit your vehicles, and surrender peacefully to us. Otherwise, we _will_ use lethal force!" he declared in a yelling but clear voice. Never in his life did he expect to deliver the order for the enemy to surrender, as he was rarely in charge of such situations where he'd have to holler such a command via a megaphone.

"In your fucking dreams! I'll see you in hell!" the gunner in the closest snowmobile yelled as he cocked his combat shotgun, drew the bead at Leon, and fired the weapon.

"_Bad choice on your part, amateur." _Leon didn't even bat an eyebrow at the notion that he was about to be splattered into chunks of burned meat as he placed his mental focus on the shotgun that had just ejected its buckshot round that contained approximately thirty smaller lead balls. With a psionic burst of mental energy, he managed to suspend the projectiles in midair and after a second or so, released his mental grip as the pellets clattered harmlessly on the icy surface below. _"Heheh, thanks for the power boost, Latios and Dialga. I certainly owe you something for the newly-gained powers that you've provided me with,"_ he mentally thanked with gratefulness. He turned to Kellyn, who simply gave him a face of encouragement for toying with death and succeeding…again.

"Shit! It can't be! A psionic Ranger! I thought those bastards were only an urban legend along with the cyborg soldiers designed to scare the recruits!" the shotgun-wielding felon yelled before he pumped his weapon and fired again, only to miss by a long shot due to the fact he was panicking from the fact his opponent was basically the fabled soldiers that the PRC's enemies had always feared ever since their introduction. Though they were rare, it was not uncommon to see them be employed as a means of engaging their enemies in a manner other than using bullets and stylers.

"_Just don't let it go to your head kid because what goes around comes around,"_ Kellyn deduced. After the pressure was relieved off of him, he drew out his MP5K and fired again as the gun rattled pugnaciously in his right hand, a stream of golden-colored shells flying out of the ejection port of the portable firearm. Much to his dismay, no bullets found their mark. _"Damn. I have to get closer if I want a clear shot. Too bad I don't have a helicopter gunship or Rayquaza's adopted daughter here to help me out here, because this would be a cake mission then."_

Much to his unexpectedness, a single round managed to puncture the fuel tank of the vehicle that Kellyn was targeting earlier-the two Sword of Deimos mercenaries had no idea what was going on as their motor vehicle detonated into a gigantic fireball that resulted in a rain of debris and wreckage alike. The two passengers of the vehicle were sent flying as a result of the explosion and flew right into a building like a wad of saliva-soaked gum fired from a high-powered slingshot. From Kellyn's point of view, it would be miraculous if they didn't acquire any injuries from the "accident".

"_That went well…certainly didn't expect such a lucky hit,"_ he cogitated to himself before focusing his sights back on the narrow frozen waterways of Alto Mare.

His younger brother finally decided that their targets were not willing to surrender peacefully. And while he wanted to wipe them out with his Latios-based powers, it also meant exposing himself to great damage to the winter environment as being part Dragon-type had its own sets of serious drawbacks. Without any further doubts, he leveled the aim of his submachine gun at his assailant and allowed fifteen or so rounds to fly from the barrel of his automatic weapon, the firearm jerking and recoiling violently as it discharged the rounds, an equal number of spent shell casings flying out of the receiver at an uncountable pace.

While the shotgunner and his driver had a bulletproof vest that protected them from small-caliber rounds, the additional gear they wore on their fragile bodies was useless in the face of the impeccable aim that Leon possessed with his firearm. Several rounds of 9mm ammunition found their marks on the heads of the two Sword of Deimos snowmobile riders and upon being struck repeatedly, their bodies flopped rapidly like Magikarps being speared in the torso. Falling from their vehicle, they met the same fate as their other comrades as their bodies slid across the ice while leaving a bloody trail in their wake. The very means of transportation they were riding on swerved out of control before it slammed into a wall and was partially ruined. It was probably still functional but it was safe to assume that it would need a costly form of repair sometime soon.

"Well, another one bites the ice," he mused to himself, even if it happened to be an incredibly bad pun. "Now time to get the-"

"Leon, keep your damn eyes on the road! You're about to hit-"

The Pokémon Ranger caught the words of his brother calling out to him, and he looked towards him-he was so preoccupied with shooting the attackers earlier that he had failed to notice a sharp left turn up ahead. He slammed on the brakes and just in time too-his vehicle skidded to a halt as it was within centimeters of slamming into the brick wall of a building that was built directly on the canal. Coming completely to a standstill, he hyperventilated repeatedly as he noticed the last two snowmobiles make their getaway before Kellyn joined up with him at his side. _"Well shit, I shouldn't have let that gone to my head,"_ the Corporal criticized himself as he noticed his older brother pulling up on his vehicle.

"You okay, little bro?" Kellyn asked, slapping the snow-drenched back of Leon's jacket. "Like I said a billion times already, just because you're blessed by a legendary's powers doesn't mean you should go on an all-out rampage. I am too, but at least I know my limits."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was completely focused on trying to stop them before they got too far," he responded in a somewhat embarrassing manner. If he had actually flown smack-dab into the wall, it was likely that he was going to be the laughing stock for pulling off something so reckless. Turning his head to the direction from which the Sword of Deimos-aligned bandits fled, he slapped himself mentally before berating, "Damn it, they got away! And to think that we would have pegged their leader right in the back with a clean shot…"

Kellyn shook his head as he revved up the engine of his Ranger-issued snowmobile. "I have a clear indication of where they are. If we continue along this canal, it's perfectly possible that we'd find them there. Now let's go. You did a good job taking those goons out with that drive-by style of yours, even though you were doing it more for show than an actual fulfillment of duty."

Leon shrugged. "I have to hone my powers every now and then."

The two brothers moved out on their snow-based vehicles, following the tracks left behind by the last two surviving targets they were pursuing earlier. With luck, they would be able to catch them in the act before the security codes were handed off to whoever they were providing their services to. It wasn't long before they found the abandoned snowmobile they were chasing earlier-parked outside a warehouse that had its roofs coated with a thick layer of snow; it was easy to predict that their targets were inside as both siblings detected them from within via their aura and psionic drives.

"I'll take point. Cover my back and warn me if you detect anything," Kellyn recommended. Readying his submachine gun, he crept forward as Leon covered his rear, using his psychic powers to track the two targets that were making their way into the warehouse. They were within range of being shot and taken out quickly.

The younger brother of the duo leveled his machine gun at the targets, but the Warrant Officer raised a hand in gesture for his sibling to cease the assault. "Not yet. I want to know who they're providing services for."

Leon nodded as he lowered his weapon, feeling slightly frustrated as he just wanted to get this job over with before heading back to Bianca's house to grab a warm meal. After all, it was Christmas and he was celebrating with close shaves of death with crazed mercenaries that didn't know the difference between making a quick buck and death. _"If Havoc, Reaper, or Latios was here, they would have cleaned up the task before these idiots even made it out of the perimeters of the base after committing theft of the codes. Those three know how to handle business the efficient and special way."_

* * *

><p><strong>Abandoned Military Warehouse, Alto Mare Docks<strong>

"I think we lost them. Those damn kids…I just wonder what PTI or our masters will think now that there's a psionic Ranger and the little hero from Almia now in the act," the driver of the leading snowmobile grumbled.

"Whatever the case, we managed to secure the security codes that'll allow us to activate the KDF and the Pokémon Ranger Corps' stockpile of extra hardware as long as the PTI submits their payment to us," the squad leader assumed with great confidence. "I sure as hell ain't coming back if their law enforcement involves two crazy trigger-happy kids! Now let's go, the sooner we hand off the codes, the sooner we can get off this island with the imbursement they promised us."

The two Sword of Deimos mercenaries quickly made their way into the warehouse where their customers were waiting for the codes to control the abandoned KDF and Pokémon Ranger Corps vehicles to be handed over in return for a cash offer. The Sword of Deimos was an organization that shunned the usage of Pokémon for extremist means-they believed that the humans were getting lazier with each passing year as they learned to harness the unimagined power of the magnificent creatures. Rejecting the acceptance of living with Pokémon peacefully, they would exterminate any they came across but after the Uprising War, they were forced to go underground after capitulating from various defeats from their enemies. Now, they were nothing more than a rather meager organization that offered its mercenary services to anyone that paid the right price.

"Well, so you've made it here and in one piece too," an arrogant and snide-sounding voice greeted the two guerrillas. "So where are the other guys?"

The squad leader and his fellow soldier, both donning winter combat gear that consisted of arctic camouflage fatigues, brought out the briefcase that contained the control codes for the dormant M1 Abrams Tanks, Armored Mobility Suits, and a Future Tank X-0 that was laying still in the vast and chilly warehouse. "In this case is all the data you need to fulfill the final process of the theft. Bring the vehicles online via hacking methods and you'll be good to go…trust me. It's almost like stealing rare candy from a baby Pokémon."

"Hmm, jumping to conclusions so rapidly?" the leading figure for Pokémon Tech Industries asked. "I have to ensure that there are no…outsiders attempting to steal a piece of my business. There's a reason why I wanted you to commit the theft today, because law enforcement would be at its most lax during this time of the year. And I'm not taking any fucking chances at the prospect of a cybernetic Ranger showing up here."

While the Sword of Deimos mercenaries and the PTI associate, escorted by four bodyguards equipped with similar heavy weaponry that was comparable to the Pokémon-shunning organization and just about any other paramilitary group, Kellyn and Leon had inaudibly slipped into the warehouse via one of the back doors as they spied on the conversation from behind the cover of an M1 Abrams tank. While it shocked them that a benevolent organization, or at least that was what the media and advertisements told them, was attempting to steal military hardware from the government, it was the representative figurehead of Pokémon Tech Industries Limited that shocked them to the core of their very souls.

"Wait…isn't that…Drew!?" Leon whispered in a shocked tone but made sure to keep his voice levels low. "That guy…I see him in the newspapers all the time, considering his constant participations in Pokémon Contests and whatnot. Will there be a time where they won't cover events that are trivial and uninteresting?"

"Looks like it," his brother responded grimly. "Even the most magnanimous figure that loves his fans like his own family can harbor some extremely shady and dark secrets such as illegal weapons trade, laundering of cash, and sale of illicit Pokémon enhancement products. The media covers him a lot but I suppose that's what happens when your father happens to be a manager of an extremely wealthy enterprise. And don't count on it. If it can make money, they'll keep on printing story after story of this guy even if it happens to be him taking an unusual explosive dump on the toilet. It makes me hurl my stomach just thinking about it."

"_As much as I'd like to cap this motherfucker, PTI will serve my rear end on a silver platter if I killed one of their manager's sons,"_ Kellyn pondered, remembering how many Rangers were lost due to PTI's partial control over the Pokémon Ranger Corps due to internal corruption.

While Kellyn was quite the wealthy individual himself due to his reputation and success in the Rangers that definitely benefited his salary, he had a general hate towards other rich figures that had a tendency to side with the darker ends of morality. It wasn't the sole fact that Drew was rich that drove him to hate and hunt the individual whenever he got the chance-the son of a PTI official was a bad-mannered, egotistical, stuck-up, and spoiled miserable human being that was solely only there to give beings lower than him in social status a difficult time with their lives. _"Maybe one day, I'll infiltrate a magazine publishing firm and leak those photos of him smoking Pokémon herbs with a local gym leader during an exchange regarding classified law enforcement files. Maybe I should be glad that I chose this line of work and didn't end up as a celebrity whose voice hasn't even cracked yet at the age of seventeen."_

Both Rangers continued their surveillance of the soon-to-be trade-off between the two parties. While the siblings could use their unnatural powers to quickly silence their opponents and retrieve what was stolen from their organization, they weren't willing to risk it. Since their knowledge of Pokémon Tech Industries was very minimal, it was wise for them to not attempt anything reckless. The fact that they had promised to safeguard the legendary Pokémon caste's secrets from normal humans meant that they would be interrogated for their links should they be captured.

"_Great. A visit to Alto Mare turns sour just because these fools are trying to make a quick buck on the grounds that happens to be sacred property,"_ Leon complained in his mind, his body shivering slightly from the numbing cold air that was contained from within the warehouse. "So what's the plan?"

"Observe. We'll take them out once I decide the time is right," was Kellyn's vague-sounding answer. The sight of a newer model of an Armored Mobility Suit that was resting by caught the attention of his eyesight but this one greatly varied from the models that the Pokémon Ranger Corps fielded. _"Hold on a minute, that AMS is not a model from our ranks. It's a Silph Co. model. Why does Drew have possession of one?"_

This variation of the powered armor unit was drastically different from the version that was fielded by the Rangers and the KDF. The latter two factions' model basically acted as a mobile armor platform that allowed the pilot to deliver heavy ground support from the platform of a hydraulic unit, but the Silph Co. manufactured model was essentially a full-body armorsuit that basically transformed the operator into a gigantic soldier standing at a height of about ten to fifteen feet tall. The suit's controls were all joined with the user's arms and legs, which allowed said pilot to control the machine and fight in a fluid and unparalleled manner in comparison to the older models' rather cumbersome fashion and sluggish speed. Equipped with two heavy automatic cannons, an advanced targeting user interface, and a fully-secure cockpit that protected its user from biological and chemical hazards, the Silph Co.'s advanced version of the AMS transformed the definition and nature of the human infantryman forever. Because of its bear-like appearance due to its brown-colored scheme and bulky construction, it was often referred by allies and foes alike as the "Ursaring Suit".

"Speaking of which…" Drew laconically spoke as he flipped through the briefcase of documents. "Rumor says that there are cryptograms capable of taking command of a cyborg Ranger. Perhaps you would enlighten me? I'd like to get back at that corn-fed Havoc for the damage he's done to my organization."

The cultist mercenaries shook their heads. "We only stole what we found. Nothing more-we didn't want to hang around in the event of being shot up by the base's sentries."

"Pathetic," the Pokémon Coordinator sneered, spitting before closing the metallic case. "Maybe another day then…"

The conversation shocked both brothers who were observing the tradeoff. Was Drew really planning on getting back at their de-facto commanding officer?

"Well, that gives me another reason to pop his face apart," Leon whispered.

"Not yet. We can't be reckless here. It looks like we'll have to crash this party before they hand off the codes, but I've got a feeling that Drew will make a jump into the Silph Co. model of the AMS. Let's wound Drew before focusing on the other goons because if he leaps into the suit, we've got nothing to dent it," Kellyn articulated with a barely audible voice as his sharp eyes were dead focused on the conversation. Leveling his MP5K at Drew's left leg, he was just about to squeeze the trigger and incapacitate the crooked Pokémon Coordinator when he realized the laser sight on his submachine gun was giving his position away to the opponent.

"We've got cops here!" Drew professed before drawing out his personal sidearm and targeting the dark portion of the warehouse from where the thin, red line of laser was being projected from. His command immediately sent up a wave of panic and rage as he, along with his four bodyguards the two Sword of Deimos operatives, emptied their automatic firearms at the supposed hiding spots of the two Pokémon Rangers. "Come on out, you Groudon-damned Piloswines!"

The two siblings immediately dove for cover behind another dormant main battle tank and it came to realization that the laser sights on their portable machine guns had given away their presence. Haranguing himself mentally, Kellyn had to admit to the notion that a simple and trivial mistake of forgetting to switch off his laser sights eventually sent their advantage of surprise down the drain almost immediately.

"The blame's on me this time," Kellyn coolly articulated. "I won't let this mission fail as I'll just lose more sleep from the scolding we'll receive from our superiors."

Leon remained silent as he checked the surroundings. There was no time to argue something as trivial as making a simple mistake that could potentially cost them their mission and their lives. So he did best what Rangers were trained to do in hot situations like this-suck it up, shut up, and deal with the mess.

Just as things couldn't get any worse, twenty more or so of the same goons that donned the uniforms of Drew's bodyguards appeared through the front doors of the warehouse, each and every one of them carrying assault rifles of various models. It was apparent that there was an entire detachment of privately-owned soldiers on location as a means of counter-surprising those who attempted to show up as surprise but uninvited guests of the dealing.

"What's the plan, kid?" one of the armed bodyguards asked.

"Eliminate them that has so dared to infiltrate this dealing. And as for you two…you have outlived your usefulness. Considering you both know so much and the fact you led the cops to our location…I'm afraid your time has come," Drew hissed before he pointed his handgun at the two Sword of Deimos mercenaries and shot them both in the head, the handgun recoiling twice in his left hand. Once he made sure they were dead, he bent down and was about to pick up the codes for the suitcase…only to have a single bullet graze through his flesh in the right arm. Reeling back in pain and howling from the burning sensation of getting shot, he had realized that the dying mercenary had managed to release one last shot from his handgun before his body functions ceased to be active. As the sights of his bodyguards met his eyes, he gave them the most obvious order that they would expect.

"Don't just stand there!" he yelled with an infuriating voice, clutching his shoulder as blood leaked out from the wound. "Find those two Rangers and take them out! I don't pay you to act as pseudo-statues for my photo shoots!"

The twenty-four bodyguards quickly panned out to various areas of the warehouse as they began combing every square inch while searching for the two Pokémon Rangers. As they combed for the hidden law enforcement officers, Kellyn and Leon had already thought up of a plan to deal with the savage mercenaries that were hunting them like Houndooms on the prowl.

Kellyn tapped a few buttons into his gauntlet-mounted styler as a combat blade composed of pure plasma energy slid forth, acting as a stabbing and slashing claw for the Ranger's right hand. "Split up. I'm pretty sure we can take these fools on if we've survived direct battles against Team Rocket's feared Red Exterminator troopers. While a twelve versus one battle may seem ridiculously unfair on our part, these guys are in for a really rude awakening," Kellyn ordered quietly before slipping off to one of the alcoves between the parked tanks.

Leon nodded without saying a word as he copied his brother's actions. With the same model of the Ranger's energy blade in one hand and the MP5K in another, he crept off and made a rapid turn around the corner…only to run face to face into one of the armed professionals. Just as the stocky man leveled his assault rifle at the Ranger's body, the Corporal squeezed on the trigger of his machine pistol and hammered his target with approximately half a dozen rounds of lead.

Flopping from the impact of the bullets like rag doll, his target went down without delay and remained silent permanently.

"Too easy. One down, twenty-four to go," Leon spoke with a rather amused tone before he backed himself against a shipping crate while silently tracking his enemies through his enhanced senses. He patiently waited for the next unsuspecting mercenary to stumble around the corner, hoping that said enemy believed that they had the Ranger pinned down in a perfect kill-zone. _"If Alto Mare's SWAT Team was here, this task would be over before anyone could say anything…but heh, I'll have to make do with what I have on my hands. For two Ranger operatives, the thought of calling for backup from the local police force would be a partial embarrassment."_

He retrieved the fallen man's assault rifle and decided to opt for a different strategy-sweep and murder every last one of those bastards that never seemed to learn the fact that crime did not pay.

At the opposite end of the warehouse, Kellyn was locked down in a fierce gun battle with five of Drew's bodyguards. While his target was quickly attempting to bandage himself up and make a quick escape with the Silph Co. AMS unit, the Almian Pokémon Ranger had his instincts firmly focused on retrieving the briefcase that was abandoned on the ground. He was not about to let the control codes fall into the enemy this easily.

It wasn't going to be a walk in the park. He'd have to be fast on his feet and hope that his assailants had horrible marksmanship training if he was to get in, grab the briefcase, and get out while taking a few down during his escape if necessary. Clearly, it was a suicidal chance unless he tapped into his unnatural senses. _"No need to take unnecessary ventures. If these hooligans find out about me and my brother's unnatural powers, I can expect them to abduct us before we even hit our next birthday,"_ he analyzed rapidly before popping out of his cover behind several steel crates and unloaded the remaining magazine in his MP5K submachine gun. The end results were three of Drew's bodyguards toppling over as the bullets perforated through their suits and knocked them down as if they were living bowling pins. He was about to simply sit back, wait for his gun magazine to recharge, and ambush any unwary mercenaries with his Ranger-issued combat knife when a single tagline he was all too familiar with rang into his ears.

"Fire in the hole!"

Acting quickly, he leapt out of cover just as a frag grenade flung by one of the aggressors replaced his current position moments later. The two remaining bodyguards thought they had Kellyn in a vulnerable spot as they leveled their M16 assault rifles at the youthful Ranger, ready to hammer him with approximately forty rounds worth of lead.

Kellyn was inevitably faster at the end of it all.

As he dropped his MP5K after the weapon was out of ammo for a temporary moment or two, he reached for the .45 handgun that was in the holster from where his old styler used to be before it was replaced with the Top Ranger's gauntlet model. Pulling out the pistol with almost lightning speed, he tracked his targets and fired off four clean shots into the heads of the goons. The two men that thought they had the Warrant Officer in the bag didn't even get a chance to react as the four rounds punctured their skulls, killing them instantly.

Landing on the ground, he was about to scramble back to his footing when he found himself staring at the boots of another mercenary. Looking up, he realized the soldier had the Almian Ranger pinned down as the assault rifle's barrel was aimed right at his face.

"Game over kid," the man laughed in a diabolical voice.

Kellyn smirked as he sprang back up using a martial arts technique he had learned back at the Ranger Academy and performed a sweeping kick with his right leg-tripping his attacker to the ground, knocking the mercenary on his back as he dropped his assault rifle. The man released a pained grunt, but he could only scream in a bloodcurdling manner as the Pokémon Ranger drove his gauntlet-styler mounted blade right into his chest, the action mortally wounding the human almost instantly as the hot blade seared through the bone and organs of the rapidly-dying human and blackened them to heated organic waste.

"Next time, think twice before you celebrate," Kellyn scolded coldly to his downed adversary before finishing the job with one shot to the man's head using his pistol. While he reloaded his .45 handgun and retrieved the submachine gun that he had abandoned earlier, there was little time for him to settle down and examine the circumstances. His ears soon caught the loud chattering of several more opposing members that were trying to terminate his life and mission and a quick glance revealed that there were three more bodyguards advancing up on a catwalk that provided a full view of the vehicle warehouse. It also meant that they were completely unprotected from gunfire from virtually any angle.

Kellyn raised his submachine gun and hosed the catwalk with the newly recharged magazine of his single-handheld weapon, dropping the trio almost immediately. _"Perhaps I should focus on retrieving the briefcase instead of trying to turn Drew's goons into grounded Tauros beef,"_ he thought to himself. He just hoped that his younger brother was doing a good job at keeping himself alive.

As Leon continued to clean the house with his brother, he realized that Drew's bodyguards, despite their physical appearances and brute combat tactics, were highly undisciplined and poorly reflexed even when compared to the typical new KDF squaddie on the battlefield. After the elimination of roughly half of the soldiers that were in charge of entrusting the security of the Pokémon Tech Industries official, the remaining survivors had pooled themselves up in a defensive position in the hopes of catching the Rangers in an open spot. At the start of the battle, they were the hunters but it soon came to light that the Rangers were now hunting _them_.

"Screw this, I want out!" one of them yelled, his hands shaking nervously as his digits were wrapped around the handle and barrel of his assault rifle. "Someone else go kill them!"

"Are you nuts!? That's Kellyn, the legendary Almian Top Ranger! He'll kill us even if he was equipped with a simple handgun! I saw him slash two of our men to death with a prototype plasma combat knife!" another one yelped in fright. He certainly did not care if Drew was going to punish him for this-they were effectively in a suicidal mission where the odds of winning were about as plausible as trying to survive, let alone win against a Snorlax in a body-slamming competition at their physical state.

"What about the other kid? Where the heck is he?"

"I don't know, but someone else can go check. I'm staying here until we're allowed to leave this position! Arceus-dammit, if we only brought some Pokémon for the job, but that would only draw more attention!"

"Attention or not, blame our employers for disallowing the usage of Pokémon."

Leon knew his older brother was going in to retrieve the authorization codes that were stolen earlier, meaning it was now his responsibility to eliminate the last squad of Drew's bodyguards. Much to his fortune, the last soldier he had taken out with a single stab from the plasma combat knife he wielded possessed a belt of grenades-the Corporal didn't think twice about abandoning such useful loot that would easily turn the tide of the fight around. As he surveyed on the terror-stricken bodyguards, he pulled the pin from one of the explosive cylindrical-shaped canisters and rolled it over to the credulous group that were absolutely oblivious of his presence.

One of the mercenaries heard the metallic clanking of the explosive device. "Hey guys, do you hear-"

He was unable to conclude his sentence as the grenade blew the entire squad to oblivion, the lucky ones sent flying like ragdolls from the explosive force while the less-luckier ones were blasted into unidentifiable pieces of burned meat.

"That was fun," Leon winced a bit from the rather ugly sight, the scent of burned human flesh assaulting his nostrils like a vicious odor from a dumpster full of unprocessed trash. _"Is this my Christmas present? A slaughter fest of security mercenaries working for some spoiled brat? Being a Pokémon Ranger sure is different compared to the times when I first submitted that application form to sign up."_

While Kellyn and Leon dropped his entire detachment of bodyguards as if they were saplings at the mercy of a hurricane, Drew paid little heed to his dying men. They were expendable, anyways-all he needed to do was file a request with his father and the powerful associate working at PTI would be able to provide him with a fresh squad of mercenaries entrusted to defend the youth's life. But what was done was done. He didn't expect anyone except for him to leave this mission alive-at the end of the day, he'd destroy the entire warehouse after he rigged it with tons of explosive charges. If he was not able to claim what he desired, then no one would get it.

After bandaging his wounded arm up, he decided to make a daring escape in the Silph Co. AMS unit that he had brought with him. While it was intended to be a token of appreciation for the Sword of Deimos mercenaries that accepted the task of thieving the control codes, he promptly changed his mind after the group had led two unwanted Rangers into the trade and thus, further exposing his connections-something that he would not allow to see the light of day.

Activating the systems and bringing the advanced walker online, his arms and legs were secured by the armor plates as the suit concealed its pilot, rendering Drew virtually immune to almost all types of small-arms fire. Since he realized that the Rangers did not possess heavily caliber weapons, he estimated that their brave yet foolish matchup against him would be a suicidal act on their part.

But he was so preoccupied with securing his own assured escape that the control codes were no longer in sight. Instead, he found Kellyn trying to bring the only dormant Future Tank X-0 online in the room.

"Sit down!" Drew yelled from the safety of his walker as he raised both automatic cannons on his Armored Mobility Suit and saturated the Almian Pokémon Ranger's current position with heavy gunfire.

Kellyn displayed his impeccable reflexes once more as he dove for cover behind the futuristic Ranger-manufactured combat vehicle, the rounds impacting against the tank's composite armor and inflicting indentations. From the safety and cover of his position, the Warrant Officer considered his options. _"Drew's got a fully operational Silph Co. AMS that's virtually impervious to any sort of small arms fire. I'd need something like a rocket propelled grenade or a powerful Pokémon attack to put a dent in it…"_

Drew cackled with insanity as he began to drench the entire warehouse with his AMS's autocannons. He no longer cared about trying to hunt down the two Rangers that had so woefully (at least on Drew's part) disrespected him with their incompetence and meddling in his affairs. All he cared about was meeting the sight of the two specially-trained law enforcement officials in a pile of chewed-up flesh and immeasurable amounts of blood and the glorifying explosion of the warehouse going up into flames.

"Gotcha in my sights."

He was so absentminded from his assault that he failed to notice Leon tracking him with a stolen RPG launcher he had salvaged from one of the weapons cache that the bodyguards had been guarding earlier. While definitely ineffective against newer vehicles, the crude yet reliable and effective weapon was often more than enough when it came to dealing with softer targets. And of course, the Ranger decided to use it to wreck Drew's AMS.

Clenching the trigger of his launcher, the explosive warhead flew from the launcher as a cloud of smoke trailed from the unguided missile. It was only after when the warhead exploded against Drew's armor suit and damaging the right arm of the AMS when he realized that one of the Rangers had scored a successful hit on him. The gun-mounted arm was badly damaged yet the suit managed to remain fully operational.

"_They may be one step ahead of me this time, but I'll come back and harass them for another day. I'll be back, you fucking Arceus-damned Swinubs!"_

Cursing and coming to the understanding that attempting to defeat the Rangers in his current state could mean potential capture or death, he decided to let the explosive charges to do their job. Activating the jump-jets that were mounted on the back of his exosuit, he flew through the thinly-armored roof of the storage building, the sight causing Leon to smirk as he abandoned the now empty rocket launcher and rejoined his brother with relief.

"Well, that certainly didn't go too well…but I guess you retrieved the codes, right?" he questioned, kicking at the discarded bullet canisters that were scattered on the floor around him.

Kellyn nodded as he opened the case with a delighted smile on his face. "Seems like this was it…but heheh, I guess they didn't realize that what they stole were nothing more than a recipe for exploding cigars. Wouldn't it be funny if that brat gave one of those to his old man or the other goons at PTI for Christmas? I'd say we'd get a news report of an 'accidental' explosion take place at PTI headquarters on the following days."

Leon blinked in a rather blank fashion at what his brother had just said. "Pardon me? You mean this was all just a setup for them?"

The Warrant Officer nodded his head emotionlessly. "We were one step ahead of them of course," Kellyn vaguely explained before closing the briefcase once more. "Do you honestly believe that we would let such sensitive codes fall into enemy hands that easily? What we did was ring the false dinner bell so the ones we wished to arrest would come streaming in like a mob of Rattatas that haven't had a bite to eat for days…and from there, we initiate the arrests. But I guess we failed our last objective here but at least they didn't learn that we had established a decoy for them. Basically, they fell into the old trap that used fool's gold as bait."

Just as the brothers began to laugh at the fact how their enemies they faced earlier lacked some serious common sense, the distinctive tone of beeps caught their ears. It was steady, monotonous and easily recognizable to anyone that had witnessed warfare.

"This place is booby trapped. Let's bail!" Kellyn yelled, already making his way to the nearest exit as his younger sibling quickly followed suit.

The two brothers did not waste any time as they quickly evacuated from the warehouse and approximately twenty seconds or so later, the shelter that shielded stockpiles of surplus vehicles was reduced into a brilliant fountain of flames and debris.

As the Alto Mare Police and Fire Department soon moved in to investigate and quench the fires, the two Pokémon Rangers had departed from the scene without leaving a single trace. After what they had experienced for the day, the last thing they wanted was an interrogation session by the law. They had done their job to the best of their abilities and were most certainly not looking forward to hearing any criticisms of their handiwork that occurred today. Both brothers were covert Rangers so they were allowed to undertake missions their own way. This was also one of the primary reasons why the two brothers did not utilize their unnatural powers as it would draw almost immeasurable attention from the media.

"Think we've seen the last of him?" Leon asked, slinging the submachine gun over his shoulder as he shivered slightly from the bitter winter air.

Kellyn shook his head with an unfulfilled facial expression and answered his sibling with, "Doubt it. Knowing him, he'll simply try to draw us into another fray as a means of bringing the media's attention onto us. We _are_ different in our own ways after all…now come on, let's get back to Bianca's house. I can sure make good use of a hot meal along with a well-deserved rest right about now."

"How are we going to explain all of this to the others, though?"

"I don't have a single clue in all the world, little bro. But whatever the case, we'll say it had to be done in the line of duty."

Opinionating on the recent chain of events inside his head, Kellyn realized that he would so rather read a magazine article regarding the culture of legendary Pokémon or the sighting of a psionic Pokémon Ranger in battle than the typical one about Drew being spotted in public with a new girlfriend or the fact he was caught in a cheating scandal of some kind.

"_They occur more than the number of rounds I shoot off at the firing range every day, if anything. Maybe I should be happy that Leon chose the path of a Ranger as opposed to a talentless and rich snob like that undisciplined freak. My brother's rather fragile personality and heart would be vulnerable to the exploitations of the media elites…"_

* * *

><p><strong>New Island<strong>

"So this is how we'll put ourselves to the test, hmm? One honorable fight that will end with no bloodshed or any casualties?" Epsilon asked, looking forward to putting his skills to the test after approximately two years in activeness in combat. "That certainly sounds like a promising proposition."

Reaper smiled with pleasure as he cracked his claws in the fashion of a human or Fighting-type Pokémon cracking their knuckles. "Precisely. It's about time to put my darkness to the test. Giratina never gives me the permission to make the souls of the damned miserable with a taste of my own violence anyways. Besides, it's a good way to kill time without actually taking any lives. The irony baffles me at times though."

"Fighting on the grounds from where it all began for me approximately ten years ago or so too. This'll certainly be most interesting. The three of us locked in a battle to see who comes out as the best…" A nostalgic feeling, if not a pleasant one, washed over Mewtwo's extensively powerful mind. While nature had mostly reclaimed the island, decommissioned defense turrets that belonged to Team Rocket in the past littered the isle. The Genetic Pokémon born on this very island chose to keep them there as a memory of the past.

The three legendary Pokémon did not attend Arceus's party mainly because they were the sub-guardians of their own regions. With Mewtwo residing in Kanto, Reaper in Alto Mare, and Epsilon in a secluded island somewhere in Hoenn, they too had just as much responsibility of adhering to their respective regions while protecting them in a world that was in need of restoration and the aftermath of the Uprising War certainly didn't help in giving the three a break once in a while. However, today was their day off and they decided to burn it out with a match that would make them fight to the inch of their lives.

While Mewtwo and Epsilon prepared themselves, Reaper turned his cloaked figure towards the direction that led to Alto Mare. Laughing to himself mentally, he was wondering how the humans that submerged themselves with greed and voice were trying to cause trouble in his hometown. _"Thank fate that you're dealing with Rangers instead of me and Laia's older kid, heheheh. Consider yourselves lucky that destiny has a much less severe punishment in mind for you," _he chortled darkly at the Sword of Deimos mercenaries and their Pokémon Tech Industries customers.

Detecting a faint signature that was flying away from the isle at high speeds, he savored the day where he would be able to torture the occupant inside the Armored Mobility Suit for all of eternity once his time came.

Several hundred kilometers southeast from Alto Mare, a completely different scenario was unfolding on the relatively desolated environment known as New Island as three legendary Pokémon were pitting themselves against each other in a battle to prove their power. Although it was a friendly scuffle, the collisions of energy and attacks that the three divine beings tossed at each other was anything but soft. Detonations of massive energy, ranging from moderate psychic blasts to miniature black holes, created shockwaves that vibrated throughout the island while sending waves of water to ripple aggressively outwards into the Pacific Ocean with every blast of attack that exploded with brilliant force and precision.

Mewtwo, Reaper, and Epsilon were locked in a three-pronged battle or which every Pokémon was left to fend for himself. It was a match from which all rules were off the table with the exception of not taking each other's lives being the only restriction in effect.

"You think Mew or any other legendary will attempt to punish us for this?" Mewtwo questioned as he utilized telekinesis to levitate several car-sized boulders to protect his relatively frail body (at least when compared to other legendary Pokémon) from a bombardment of knife-like projectiles crafted from ice that Reaper had conjured up from the snowy environment they were battling in. "I'm pretty sure Lugia or Ho-Oh won't be pleased with the chaos that we're causing with our techniques, especially during the holiday seasons."

The evil-looking Latios laughed darkly at the Team Rocket-made legendary, knowing that it was probably an excuse that the Pokémon was using in an attempt to leave the fight. "This zone is classified as training grounds for us. Besides, our techniques aren't strong enough to cause cataclysmic damage, so let loose your shoulders and come at me!" Raising his claws, he conjured up two grey-colored Dragon Pulses before throwing them at his quarries. _"This fight seems like it's slowly crawling towards a two versus one battle that's not in my favor, but then…I am possibly the most powerful one out of the three here. If Laia was here, they probably wouldn't be able to even inflict a single scratch on her."_

"Not this time!" Mewtwo retaliated before quickly charging an Aura Sphere via focusing his three-fingered hands. Once the orb of pure fighting energy grew to a satisfactory size to the Genetic Pokémon, he flung the explosive sphere of Fighting-type energy at one of the draconic rounds of energy. The collision resulted in an explosion as the two attacks made contact with each other and reacted violently. "Not bad for a servant of Giratina…but you'll soon see that Mew has trained me well enough!"

On the other hand, Epsilon shifted into his defense form-a trait that most Deoxys were well known for. They were able to shift into four different combat forms at will, allowing them to augment their battle tactics as a means of adapting to different situations of combat.

"You think your little defense form will save you from my specialized Dragon Pulse?" Reaper jeered in a sinister but friendly manner as he watched the grey-colored projectile soar towards the Deoxys. "Just don't blame me if my attacks hurt more than normal…being someone in your own class most certainly has its benefits."

It became clear to Reaper that he partially underestimated Epsilon's potential. The moment his Dragon Pulse was about to make contact with the DNA Pokémon, the orange-colored legendary Pokémon raised both of his bulky arms and effortlessly swatted away the Ghost/Psychic/Dragon-type's attack as if he was smacking away a Spearow that thought it had found some easy prey. This caused Reaper's projectile to fly harmlessly into the sky before it dissipated from a lack of energy. However, he didn't give his intended targets any time to collect themselves together for a counterattack as he focused his energy and materialized three psionic shurikens in his right claw. Once they came into existence, he flung them at the two psychics.

Mewtwo and Epsilon reacted just in time to avoid being hit directly by the lethal projectiles-as they sidestepped in opposite directions to evade the fast-flying shots. All three of Reaper's razor-sharp assassination weapons failed to find their targets as they impacted the ground and created miniature detonations of abhorrent energy.

"Well, you're much stronger than I anticipated even after all these years," the ghostly Eon Pokémon remarked. "Now let's see if you can survive this!" Focusing his energy while snarling a bit, he unleashed several bolts of violet-colored electricity. Just like Laia, Reaper was an Eon Dragon in his own class with techniques that only he was allowed to utilize. This made him a formidable opponent but he had a long way to go before he was able to best Laia in a battle. After all, he was an ancient Eon, but he was certainly not the first one.

"Come on Reaper, is that the most I can expect from a Pokémon that claims himself to be an ancient Latios that survived the curse of the Great Poison? Your bolts of electricity are pathetic compared to Zekrom's!" Epsilon commented with a gentleman's voice but at the same time, added a slight tone of mockery to his statement. Dodging the streak of purple-colored thunderbolts, the Deoxys effortlessly evaded the Eon Pokémon that donned a tattered cloak before returning the compliment with a Shadow Ball.

"I wasn't even trying my best. Any amateur can neutralize the most overrated move ever recorded in the history books with enough common sense." Reaper smirked devilishly at the incoming Ghost-typed technique that the former soldier of Entity Three's forces had flung at him. Without saying a word, he allowed the glob of vile energy to make contact with his body and instead of causing tremendous damage to his body due to the typing he possessed the attack was seemingly absorbed into his cloak without any signs of the attack actually harming him. Smiling with a sense of malicious pleasure, he allowed his tattered cloak, which strongly resembled the Reaper Cloth item that allowed Dusclops to achieve evolution into their Dusknoir forms, to flap gracefully in the wind.

"Thanks for the much-needed energy boost. It was most certainly generous of you to provide it for me…and now, it's time to return the favor." He was about to summon his most powerful attack at his disposal, but then decided to "toy" with his opponents a bit more-the battle was just far too fun to end this quickly. After all, he was probably the most experienced Pokémon on the battlefield at the moment-being related to not one, but two Arceans had its own benefits. Add to the fact of status of having survived the influence of Phazon had its bonuses too as it made him far more resistant than a regular Latios while eliminating some of his major natural weaknesses. _"That was close. Without that cloak, Ghost and Dark-type moves can easily put great pain in my body."_

Just as Epsilon and Mewtwo were about to hurl another long-ranged projectile-based move at the airborne legendary when said Pokémon held out his right claw as a way of signaling them to pause their attacks for a moment. Both Psychic-types immediately ceased gathering energy for said moves as Reaper began voicing his plan to the two grounded Pokémon.

"Say…how about we change the game rules a bit?" the dark-themed Latios suggested, levitating in the winter air steadily as he lowered himself to the ground to meet up with the other two legendary Pokémon.

"Hmm?" Epsilon narrowed his right eye in questioning. "Wasn't this a no-rules match, save for the exception that we do not claim each other's lives in cold blood?"

Mewtwo shrugged a bit with a small grin on his usually emotionless face. "I'm fine with that, although I'm almost certainly positive that Mew, Laia, and Ho-Oh will be complaining that we're practicing the art of killing just for fun. Heh, Team Rocket really wanted me to have a killer instinct…"

Reaper released his signature dark-toned chuckle at the two Psychic-types before offering his intention. "Well, seeing how you two clearly stand no chance against me for obvious type-advantage reasons, how about we redraw the battle lines a bit? I'll let the two of you team up against me in a two versus one match. It's only fair because I am directly related to two Arceans, while one of you is a mere clone and the other has a genetic defect, which clearly reflects your inferiority when it comes to comparing our backgrounds. How about it?"

Both Mewtwo and Epsilon turned their gazes to each other before wondering why the Ghost/Psychic/Dragon-typed Pokémon would provide such a ludicrous idea. They possessed great power for legendary Pokémon and while they didn't really see Reaper's full potential during the Uprising War unless the situation really called for it, they were almost certain that the shadowy Latios had more cards to play than possessing the power of death and the shadows. It didn't help that Reaper possessed a type advantage over the two Psychic-based legendaries. But was Giratina's emissary really planning to fight against odds that would almost certainly mean suicide and ultimate defeat?

"…come on, you do realize that this is a friendly battle and there will be no harm done. I only want to put my skills to the test. You do know that Giratina is not a lenient legendary when it comes to testing her followers. If I do not meet her expectations, I can expect quite the questioning from her. She does not take slackers for an answer," Reaper elaborated, hoping to convince the two legendaries somehow.

The two legendary Pokémon took a moment or two to contemplate Reaper's offer before nodding their heads, the responses giving the ghostly Latios an almost evil-like grin.

"Just remember, I won't pull any punches on you. I'll fight to the best of my abilities and knowledge," Epsilon warned as he sharpened his instincts for battle.

Mewtwo nodded his head in agreement before his eyes gave off an intimidating gleam of red, a sign that he was tapping into his psychic powers. "You can expect utmost brutality from me in battle."

"I expect no less from worthy opponents such as you two considering your performances in the Uprising War against our mortal and destined enemies," Reaper declared, zooming into the air as he commenced the battle while looking forward to a worthwhile match against the two Psychic-typed Pokémon he had trained with for the last few years. "The first move is all yours. Come on; show me what you've learned. Once again, I will treat this as the battles that I've fought in my past, including the First Battle of Alto Mare and the Uprising War."

Realizing that the advantage was all but on their side, Mewtwo and Epsilon took to the skies with their psychic-based levitation abilities in order to fight on more or less equal grounds against their airborne adversary. To start the battle, both Pokémon hurled barrages of Shadow Balls at the lone Latios, approximately half a dozen globs of eerie energy being hurled by both Pokémon. They hoped that the salvos would knock Reaper into submission, granting them a relatively easy win.

Reaper smiled in an almost savage manner as if the incoming globules of undead energy were locked onto him with ferocious speed and accuracy. He mentally focused on the incoming projectiles and once he acquired a firm lock on them, the Eon sent forth a telekinetic wave that caused them explode prematurely and harmlessly in the air. "Is that how you roll out the red carpet? You'll have to try harder than that," he sardonically recommended towards the pair of Psychic-types. "Now it's my turn after you've fired off the first shot."

"I have a feeling that he's toying with us already…" Epsilon presaged as he felt the presence of immense amounts of dark energy emanating from Reaper.

Mewtwo snorted as he shifted into a battle posture, ready to counter whatever attack his opponent was going to hurl at him. "Then we'll wrap up this battle quickly. It's a two on one, so the advantages are in our favor."

Upon catching note of his comment, Reaper smiled sadistically and could only reply with a single thought. _"Pathetic amateurs."_

Raising both of his draconic claws and directing them at the ground, Reaper proceeded to telekinetically raise two gigantic blocks of ice that formed near the coastlines of the deserted island below. Being the size of houses, it was hard to imagine how anyone would be able to lift them with conventional methods but to Mewtwo and the Deoxys, it was most certainly expected. Both Pokémon decided to counter with the same strategy as each one of them raised boulders that lined the rocky cliffs of the island. To the three Pokémon, it was pretty much a gigantic snowball fight but with snowballs that were anything but soft and painless.

"Copying my tactics, hmm?" Reaper asked with disappointment. "I thought you two would have better ideas of how to counter my telekinetic throws."

"Fight fire with fire, like they always say!" Mewtwo returned his statement before forcing the boulder to fly straight at his target. Epsilon mimicked his actions, hoping to somehow hit the Latios head-on with the second boulder.

The colossal-sized boulders didn't even cause Reaper to blink before he threw the two ice blocks he had in his mental grasp right at the inbound objects, and the collision caused a sizable detonation that caused bits of dirt, dust, ice, rocks, and minerals to fly in all directions. _"Time for a small change in my strategies. Starting fights at a Slugma's pace has never been a preferred strategy-it just gives them time for me to analyze my weaknesses. A little shock and awe should knock some senses into them and send a message that they've made a very fatal miscalculation in challenging me. Fighting them with expected tactics is pointless," _he deduced quietly in his psyche. Sure, it had been well over two years since he had seen Mewtwo and Epsilon in battle but it wasn't a surprise if the pair of Pokémon learned new battle strategies that could potentially counter his own.

As the cloud of debris from the collision of the four projectiles continued to obscure the battle area, Reaper quickly vanished from the sights and senses of both of his adversaries. Once a gust of wind blew by and cleared out the visual obstructions, his opponents were no longer able to sense his presence in the area, let alone see him to begin with.

"…where'd he go? Did he run away in fear?" Mewtwo amusingly commented. "What a disappointment! I guess we won the battle, huh? But without doubt, it can't be this easy!"

"Oh, no…not in several million years," Epsilon warned with an extremely cautious tone as he was able to trace down Reaper's energy signatures from all directions. "If anything, he expects us to _think_ that way. Psychological tactics are among one of his favorites. He _wants_ us to believe he deserted the fight."

The island environment soon descended into a state of complete silence as an eerie atmosphere drifted by. The shadow Latios was nowhere to be seen and both Psychic legendaries were whirling their heads around in confusion while trying to pick up the slightest trace of Reaper's life force. It was only a few moments later when Epsilon realized the horrible truth behind the disappearance of the Eon Dragon. _"Wait a minute…I've seen this somewhere before. Only the most powerful Ghost-types can learn such a move, and with Reaper among one of them and his affiliation with Giratina as the goddess of death, it means…he's about to use that one move!"_

It was clear that Reaper was about to execute his own version of Shadow Force, a technique that was only available to Giratina and her most trusted disciples. Epsilon's estimation was confirmed to be correct as a ripple of dark energy opened up from behind him and Mewtwo, a single figure flying forth but this time, the stature of the being was seen to be wielding a sword-like weapon of some kind.

"Mewtwo, defensive countermeasures, now!" the Deoxys quickly warned as he shifted into his speed form. After completing his transformation, he decided to arm himself against the threat by morphing his right arm into a blade-like weapon composed of pure psychic energy.

Mewtwo managed to catch his partner's order just in the nick of time and he too summoned forth a psychic-like broadsword that he wielded with both arms.

"_Not bad. I thought they would panic from my disappearance. Shame that considering psychological ops combined with assassination-style techniques is surprisingly effective if pulled off correctly,"_ Reaper thought while flying full speed towards the two DNA-related legendary Pokémon as his right claw brandished one of the two weapons of his choice. This time, he decided to stick with a katana that he referred to as the Eclipse Razor.

"So, he knows how to wield swords too, it seems…I guess that evens the ground on our part. Projectile-based battles are disinteresting to me anyways!" Mewtwo remarked fiercely as he charged at Reaper and swung his psychic-energy based broadsword at the ghostly Eon Dragon. Reaper returned the compliment with a swift block that quickly intercepted the Genetic Pokémon's own melee-based weapon, and the collision between the two weapons caused another violent reaction that released a bright spark of energy.

"Impressive display, but a weapon is only as useful as the skill of the wielder, and the wielder is only so powerful depending on the experience one possesses," Reaper advised as he and Mewtwo were locked in a fierce brawl of who would perform better with swords.

"The humans made me for war and I'll prove it to you why that is the indefinite reason!" Mewtwo fiercely snarled back as he knocked Reaper's sword out of his hand with an unexpected surprise blow, causing it to fly out of his grasp as it flew through the air. The successful scene of actually being able to disarm his opponent for once gave Mewtwo a small sense of accomplishment as he prepared to deliver the blow right into his quarry's head. "You said there would be no punches pulled, so don't complain if this hurts a little more than normal!"

Reaper blinked a bit from the brute violence that Mewtwo displayed, but was clearly unimpressed by the setup. _"He clearly thinks this battle will be over in a blink of an eye. I can't blame him, but it's time to make him face the dark reality."_

As the sword descended from the air and towards Reaper's head, the Eon Dragon released a sinister smile before stopping Mewtwo's finishing blow…with his bare claw. The Genetic Pokémon's expression transformed from a confident one to a facial look that clearly screamed confusion as he was no longer able to force the sword-for some reason, Reaper actually managed to stop a weapon that could sear through an Aggron's thick armor with nothing more than the two nails on his claws! "…wh…what!?" Mewtwo uttered with shock, wondering how it was even possible to stop a sword that would easily cleave through most types of material like a chainsaw through butter.

"You seem to have missed my point. Your skills are inadequate and you are overconfident in your abilities. I certainly expected better from you," Reaper recited his line from earlier before unleashing a powerful telekinetic wave that forced Mewtwo to fly back at least thirty feet from his current position. The sword's blade remained in the grasp of the Ghost/Psychic/Dragon-type, the blade not inflicting any sign of damage in his grasp save a tiny trickle of blood that oozed from an insignificant wound that was invisible to the naked eye.

Reaching out his other free hand, the Eclipse Razor flew back to its owner as if it possessed some degree of sentience and the handle of the legendary blade of the deceased was once again in the grip of its rightful possessor.

Mewtwo huffed and panted with slight exhaustion. While the enemies he fought in the Uprising War were merciless and skilled, Reaper made them look like a day's worth of field training. The shadow Eon was basically mocking the born-to-kill legendary Pokémon with his display of attitude and behavior towards him!

"I think this belongs to you," Reaper coolly spoke before throwing the sword right at Mewtwo, the latter catching it by the handle as he felt great anger and discontent towards his opponent. "Was that the best you can do? If that's the case, then I'm afraid you've already lost the battle."

"The battle has only begun!" Mewtwo growled as he fired off a Psycho Boost, a pulsating orb of psychic energy channeled into a destructive sphere of power that was similar in fashion to an Aura Sphere. "Stand and survive this attack if you dare!"

"Self-indulgent fool…" Reaper sneered, his right claw firmly clenched around the Eclipse Razor. While he could easily cause the signature move that could only be learned by Mewtwo himself or Deoxys to detonate in midair or have it absorbed/deflected via the tattered cloak he wore, he decided to put on a display of power of just how much potential he possessed.

While Mewtwo was anticipating the sight of a fallen Latios having been annihilated by his dreaded Psycho Boost, Epsilon looked on with an anxious and tense expression. Was it truly possible that Reaper was really as powerful as Laia? The Eon Dragoness, despite her grand beauty and motherly personality towards her closest companions, was borderline immortal and proficient in battle should she need to rise up and contribute to a conflict even though she was clearly a peacekeeper. She could easily defeat any opponent with her light-based moves-now Epsilon was wondering if Reaper was just as skilled and near-invincible as the legendary Arcean Goddess, if not stronger.

As the aurora sphere of psionic energy closed in on Reaper, he delivered the slash and caused Mewtwo's attack to explode with unmatched force, throwing up another obscuring cloud that was composed of choking smog.

Mewtwo laughed with a triumphant tone as he felt his target's life force diminish. "Well, I suppose I win this match. You shouldn't have gotten so cocky, Reaper. Did you honestly think your sword could save you from my secret technique? You made a horrible mistake thinking that you could match us-"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence as Reaper darted from the blur and right at him, sword raised.

"_W-what!? He stopped my Psycho Boost and survived a detonation of it right up in his face!? Just how many tricks does he have?"_ Mewtwo was starting to show signs of panic against an enemy that was so unrelenting and skilled in his trade but nevertheless refused to simply fall over and admit defeat without a serious battle.

"Are you afraid, Mewtwo? Are the psychological impacts of this battle finally wearing you out? What happened? Where's your confidence and oh-I-am-so-sure-of-myself personality of yours?" Reaper criticized with a mixture of mockery and anger as he forced Mewtwo on the defensive again with his barrages of sword strikes. "The shadows are on my side now…and they will consume your very soul once this battle's curtains lower in conclusion."

"Yes, but they will also be your downfall!" Mewtwo shot back before attempting to seize Reaper's figure with a telekinetic grab, only to fail. The Emissary of Giratina projected a black aura around his body, nullifying all Psychic-typed attacks and giving the Genetic Pokémon further disenchantment.

As Reaper simpered at his opponent with sadism, Mewtwo raised his sword and hacked it against the force field…only for it to send off a repulsing wave that forced the Team Rocket mutant clone to be forced back again. The grey-furred Latios dropped the defensive barrier, wondering if his two allies were doomed to defeat at his hands.

Mewtwo began to feel slightly queasy after expending so much energy in a fight that was comparable to supersonic speeds in terms of the battle's pacing. _"He's more powerful than I anticipated him to be. I suppose that's his secret_…_he trains in absolute secrecy and seclusion so no one is able to learn the clandestine tactics he has up his sleeve. He may not have received much training, but I do have to give him credit for being a survivor of the Great Poison, or as the humans and the wretched Team Rocket and the UAAF named it, Phazon…"_

"Think fast!" Reaper called out without warning as he flung two psionic shurikens composed of wraithlike and spectral energy from his claws and straight at his target.

"Curses…" Mewtwo hissed as he darted to his right side to quickly evade the sinister projectiles that harmlessly flew by him, but it was a close call as one threatened to sear straight through the skin on his left arm. _"He can even throw sneak attacks at me without delay! Sure, I'm not even ten years old, but truly, he's clearly holding back his power…there's just something about him that many of us fail to understand, but I won't let that dishearten me from wiping that smirk off his face!"_

He didn't have any more time to continue reflecting the current situation of the battle as the Latios rushed headlong at him again and forced Mewtwo into another swordfight of his life.

While the battle continued to rage between Mewtwo and Reaper, Epsilon was stuck between fighting morally and seizing the advantage on his part. He could easily ambush Reaper in the back with one swift strike of his own sword arm, but that would mean playing unfairly. He was an honorable Pokémon that fought with honor and he certainly would never take unfair advantage over his opponent, especially not one who was a faithful ally to him. However, a chain of events caused him to conflict between his own ideals and the outcome of the match, especially after how much close calls in regard to Reaper striking vital organs on Mewtwo's body, including the tube-like extension on the back of Mewtwo's head.

"Epsilon, help me out here!" Mewtwo yelled in desperation while attempting to ward off the deadly blade that Reaper wielded, which was met with rather inadequacy on his part as the Eclipse Razor that the cloaked Latios wielded threatened to rend through his skin viciously. "Strike him in the rear already!"

"Your deficiency of skills in swordplay is disappointing me Mewtwo, and I wouldn't be so confident in launching successful sneak attacks on me. I didn't challenge you to a two versus one battle without planning ahead!" Reaper mordantly commented as he repeatedly parried the clone of Mew's slashes and returned with strikes that threatened to sear through the flesh and bone of the legendary Psychic-type. Since it was a friendly match, he ensured that no physical harm would be inflicted but the drainage of energy and exhaustion was still possible. With every slash that Mewtwo managed to score, Reaper caused five more hits to land on the Pokémon. Even though the reflexes of the Team Rocket biological weapon were working at their prime levels to battle, it was clear that Reaper was the better individual in terms of the art of sword-fighting.

Mewtwo's death-inducing glare never left Reaper's own dark expression as he continued to fight with everything he could possibly utilize. But since he needed a good amount of time and space to charge up much-needed projectile attacks to a significant level, he had to resort to circumventing incoming strikes from Reaper's Eclipse Razor using his own psychic broadsword or his iron-hard tail. _"Damn…he's powerful…I always knew he was an expert with the traditional attacks that his family is well known for, but this is just outright insane! I can't keep this up forever!"_

Epsilon balled up his left tentacle into a fist, and finally decided to join in on the battle. He couldn't just stand by and watch Mewtwo get pummeled into the dirt even if it meant it was a friendly battle. He rushed forward as his right blade-arm was drawn and at the ready to send off a deadly blow.

It wasn't even a surprise to Reaper at all that the Deoxys would eventually join the battle sooner or later-as a matter of fact, he was rather disappointed in the fact it took so long for the DNA Pokémon to make up his mind. Smirking with deliberately cruel pleasure, Reaper tapped into his inner powers and decided to quickly add his own twist to the fight. _"Now it gets fun. I can only imagine if a shadow copy of me is able to successfully fend off a full-fledged legendary Pokémon that's on par with Alto Mare's Latios."_

Just as Epsilon was about to make contact with his psionic arm-blade, a shadow copy of Reaper leapt out from the original shadowlike Eon's body and intercepted his blow with another duplicate of the Eclipse Razor. The former servant of Entity Three widened his eyes with a combination of awe, shock, and terror. A completely black figure of Reaper had managed to stop him dead in his tracks as if he was fighting a perfect clone of the original Latios himself!

"That's…that's the exact same ability that Laia possesses!" Epsilon gasped with shock. He remembered how the ascended Arcean Goddess was able to produce perfect copies of the dragoness and while each individual mimicked copy was nowhere near the power of the progenitor, they were still effective combatants when pitted against human weaponry and mortal Pokémon. Laia often used this ability to deceive and confuse her opponents and it was generally effective since with each clone that was defeated, two more would take the fallen illusion's place. But now, it was definitely newsflash that Reaper himself possessed such a unique ability that was technically the divine variation of Double Team.

The shadow facsimile swatted Epsilon's blade out of the way before delivering a blunt strike with the sword's handle, causing the Deoxys to recoil as the blade struck his gut. While he wasn't harmed, he was certainly jarred as every cell in his body rang out in numbness. _"And the shadows are perfectly capable of fighting just as effectively as the original one himself. I am stunned."_

The shadow copy flung a new projectile weapon towards the DNA Pokémon. It was identified as a razor-sharp knife-like weapon that was identified to be a psionic kunai. Epsilon quickly sidestepped to avoid the incoming blade, the assassination tool flying by harmlessly before dissipating into the air. _"Now kunais? I suppose Zekrom wasn't the only legendary out there that loved to use his own sets of customized weapons!"_

The original Reaper wrapped up the first round of the battle as he shattered Mewtwo's sword with one swift hack that reduced the psionic-reinforced blade into nothing more than multiple shards of pink-colored glass. Shocked at how his weapon was reduced to nothingness, the Genetic Pokémon had his mind thrown into a chasm of doubt and uncertainty as Reaper struck him once more with a blunt strike. Knocking his adversary back, the almost phantom-like Latios spun his sword in a manner similar to an expert gunfighter toying with his prized revolver on the onset of a gun-duel in the old Wild West. "Well, that's round one for you. Have you had enough, or do you desire for more misery and pain? If that was the best you were giving me, I'm afraid that you have a lot more training to undergo. But since you're both amateur Pokémon…that is an exception I can understand on my part." The shadow duplicate of the ancient Latios sided with its original master as it floated silently, waiting for its next order.

"I refuse to give in like this," Mewtwo announced as two auras of psychic energy began to form on his alien-like hands. "I am still certain that Epsilon and I are able to defeat you and even if we don't, I've got plenty of energy left within me."

Epsilon didn't say anything but from Reaper's point of view, it was clear that he was also unwilling to leave the battle without trying.

"That's the spirit," Reaper complimented with a positive-sounding voice. "Now, let's change the situation once again…I hope you're prepared for my next attack, because I'm sure the Administrators and Guardians of the Earth would certainly be displeased if I misused this attack."

Mewtwo and Epsilon continued to observe what the Ghost/Psychic/Dragon-type Latios had in mind. Stashing his Eclipse Razor securely back into his cloak, Reaper rechanneled his energy into delivering the next move that was possibly one of the strongest Dragon-type attacks in existence. As he collected a mixture of both draconic and spectral power from the very veins of his body, the shadow version of Reaper merged with its original creator as the eerie glow continued to intensify with great power to the point where it inflicted pain on both Mewtwo and Epsilon's eyes for simply staring into the sinister projections of light. Considering the time it took so long to charge the attack, both Psychic-type Pokémon were now aware that Giratina's most entrusted servant was about to summon the ultimate move by Dragon Pokémon-the one that was greatly feared by those who had seen in action as it could easily clear entire armies with one swift bombardment and lay great devastation to major population centres.

"…he's about to summon Draco Meteor!" Epsilon gasped with shock. "We have to counter and evade somehow, but it's by far one of the most difficult moves to avoid in existence!"

Mewtwo, having known the attack all too well, had his eyes firmly locked on the abandoned assortment of defensive systems that were left behind by Team Rocket. While he had left the lab in utter ruins when he first fled from his accursed birthplace, the defenses were largely left untouched after Giovanni's officers ordered a full evacuation of the island. Ever since the island became a natural sanctuary for the Genetic Pokémon and any visitors that he welcomed warmly, he eventually learned to remotely control the turrets as a means of deterring unwanted invaders. "Take control of the gun turrets via telekinesis. Use them to shoot down the Draco Meteors. Then we'll move in for the finish, as Reaper will be weakened upon using the energy-draining move. On our own, the mass number of meteors raining on our heads will make it far too difficult for us to take them all down while avoiding the projectiles at the same time."

Both Epsilon and Mewtwo quickly descended towards the ground and took control of the two dozen weapon systems that were scattered throughout the islet. While they were dilapidated and were likely to be in poor condition considering their age, they still worked and were effective deterrent against most threats, especially airborne ones.

Reaper ejected the sphere from his chest as the globe of Dark and Dragon-type energy rose steadily into the air. He observed his two adversaries with interest as he noticed them taking rapid control of the Team Rocket land-based weapons and couldn't help but congratulate them for their ingenuity. _"A most interesting yet impromptu tactic. They'll only learn how powerful my Draco Meteor is, even though it isn't even close on par with Lord Rayquaza's."_

The violent orb that resembled a miniature dark sun detonated like a red giant entering its supernova stage, and with a blinding explosion, approximately forty smaller projectiles that were shaded in a dark hue of purple and black descended across the battlefield, ready to saturate what remained of New Island into absolute oblivion.

Mewtwo and Epsilon immediately manipulated each and every active weapon on the island as a hail of bullets, lasers and missiles rose from each and every system to meet the incoming meteors. Smaller explosions erupted in the evening sky as both sides' attacks met with each other with unrelenting onslaught. Some of Reaper's meteor strikes managed to get through the defensive field of human-manufactured ordnance and this prompted both Psychic-types on the ground to abandon their efforts to bring the Draco Meteor strikes to a dead halt.

Both the Genetic and DNA Pokémon took off into the air as a wave of massive explosions laid waste to most of the island's natural structure, leaving nothing but steaming craters in the wake of the impacts from the smaller Draco Meteors. Levitating to the level of Reaper, they came to the realization that the only way to defeat the Eon Pokémon was to engage him in close-ranged combat. If they could not counter his Draco Meteor in any way, then there was no hope in terms of indirect engagements for the duo.

The two had failed to stop the bombardments even with the aid of the natural environment around them. Now the pair of Psychic-type legendaries could only ponder so deeply as to what Reaper had ready to throw at them next.

"Ah, so you two have come to your pathetic senses that fighting me in ranged combat is futile. A wise decision, I'll say…perhaps I should finish this quickly and be done with it. If you cannot survive my Draco Meteor, then your loss is all but reality. Now, prepare to meet my ultimate move…Shadow Eradication!"

Both Mewtwo and Epsilon raised their eyes as they looked on in absolute shock-it was clear to them that the spectral Eon was about to use his own customized variation of Luster Purge. While an attack of the same name created a massive explosion of pure psionic energy, Reaper was able to customize his own attacks as he saw fit due to his uniqueness. As his eyes emanated a gleam of blood-red from his pupils, a massive amount of mental and dark energy was drawn from his body to immeasurable levels. Once he felt it was sufficient to deal enough damage to his two adversaries, he unleashed a black/violet-shaded orb that repeatedly continued to collapse on itself like a miniature black hole, the swirling vortex moving forward while causing unstable distortions in the air as if it was draining the very oxygen from the environment it was slowly consuming.

The pair of Psychic-type legendaries immediately attempted to throw a pair of Psycho Boosts to halt it somehow, but their energy balls of psychic energy was quickly devoured by the relatively-slow paced black hole as it moved in on them.

"…that's not good," Mewtwo muttered, fearing for the worst. "It consumed our Psycho Boosts like a full course meal!"

Epsilon didn't say anything as he shifted into his defense form again, crossing his fingers and praying that his advanced anatomy that was built for survival would protect him from the massive detonation of mysterious energy that made up Reaper's signature attack. For some inexplicable reason, the approaching attack had them locked down and unable to flee-in reality, the minuscule black hole actually prevented them from escaping.

As his two opponents expected the worst, Reaper detonated the black hole as a gigantic force of unstable energy knocked Mewtwo and Epsilon to the ground, causing every cell in their bodies to ring out in pain from the damage inflicted. Grunting the two legendaries shifted back to their feet and was able to continue their resistance when an unexpected visitor interrupted their three-way battle.

"That's enough training for one day, Reaper. Aren't you afraid that you might beat those two poor guys into submission? That Shadow Eradication of yours might be a bit too strong for training usages," a soothing yet authoritative voice commanded.

Having recognized the voice all too well, the shadow Eon Dragon disengaged almost immediately before returning his mind into a relaxed but partially alert state. Helping Mewtwo and Epsilon to their feet, he congratulated them with a look of proudness for being able to last that long against him, despite their level of experience when compared to his.

The trio of legendary Pokémon caught the voice in their ears before they turned their attention to the speaker of the message. At first sight, the three had thought that Lord Rayquaza had arrived on the scene to punish them for the catastrophic damage they had caused on the island, even if it was legitimate training grounds. However, upon closer inspection, Reaper came to realize that it wasn't the Great Dragon Emperor of all Dragon-type Pokémon that inhabited Earth but rather, his adopted "daughter". While there were little aesthetic differences between the two, she donned a pair of pink-colored ribbons that flowed from her armored fins on her head and there was also a butterfly-style bowtie in between the section of her body that joined both her arms. On the other hand, Mewtwo and Epsilon were utterly terrified of Rayquaza upon seeing him-or at least, something that resembled him.

"Oh crap, I knew this would happen," Epsilon groaned with a slightly bored-sounding voice. "Are you here to blow us away with a Dragon Pulse just because of the collateral damage we caused?"

"No, I'm not Rayquaza, you big dummy. I'm her adopted daughter, Oichi!" the dragoness bluntly answered. "But I am here to give you all a small talk on behalf of Lord Arceus himself."

"Well, at least it's not Mew. I hope," Mewtwo sighed with relief. Every time the pint-sized legendary made her appearance and gave her speeches, he could expect to go home with a serious migraine that would last for weeks.

"Fancy seeing you here," the shadow Eon Pokémon politely greeted and disengaged his cloak and with the Eclipse Razor, they dissolved into nothingness. The fact he had taken off his threadbare cloak was out of respect-what stood before the eyes of everyone on the scene was a Latios with grey-colored fur as opposed to the bluish scheme that the male side of the species was well known for. "Uh…sorry for the destruction here, but you know how messy training sessions often end up."

The dragoness giggled a bit before gesturing the three Pokémon to land on the island. "Well, I think I need a word with you three regarding what happened today. Don't worry; I'm not here to punish you. Because my father would be here instead if that was certainly the case!"

Without saying a word, the three Pokémon descended to the ground before making themselves comfortable, and the female Rayquaza coiled herself down as a means communicating with the smaller legendary Pokémon.

"So, what's with the urgent message?" Epsilon queried as he shifted back into his normal form.

Oichi held both of her claws together with a small smile of delight. "Well, Lord Arceus wishes you all a Merry Christmas. Considering you three never showed up to his party twice in a row, he was not pleased about it. The same was for Lord Rayquaza but his reason was legitimate since as you know, he has very little time to focus on relaxation."

"Yeah, about that…" Reaper nervously chuckled, trying to find a reasonable way to counter the statement. "You can say that celebratory events are just not for those who dislike social events."

"You seemed to take the training session a bit too seriously though. Shouldn't you loosen up a bit with the training? I could hear you criticizing Mewtwo and Epsilon's weaknesses from two hundred miles away!" Oichi laughed. To the dragoness, if there was one individual that was able to potentially best some of the best drill instructors that served under her father's command, the recognition would definitely go to Reaper himself.

"He is a bit strict, I'll admit. But I've seen worse," Mewtwo admitted, remembering when he spent a day under Lord Rayquaza's command after he started a fight with Darkrai as an act of revenge after the Sinnoh legendary would never stop attempting to pick a fight with him over something he couldn't bother to remember. "That was some training you gave me there so thanks, it's much appreciated. Although I do want to learn some of your secrets behind that Shadow Eradication move of yours…"

Epsilon slapped the back of Reaper with his left limb with a welcoming manner. "Aye, but next time we have one of these sessions, be a little gentler please? You should learn how to fight in a nobler manner, because you had me worried there with your constant sneak attacks!"

Reaper laughed a bit as he wondered how he was going to reply to all the statements. "To start things off, thanks for your appreciation of the training session-glad you enjoyed it. And Oichi," he turned to the Sky High Pokémon before continuing with, "Brutal training produces fine warriors and that's a known fact. If you think I'm harsh, then you should spend a day in one of the Reverse Realm's military camps. I make their strictest drill instructors look gentle! And Epsilon…I'll take your recommendation sometime but get with the facts; I'm Giratina's Emissary. She expects me to be sneaky and change the rules to my favor. But if you want a more fair battle next time, then I'm all ears. But then, with all the peace and stability for the last few years…I do wish there was some threat that actually stood a chance against me." The shadowy Latios inhaled a deep breath of cold air and turned to Mewtwo. "And nope, the secrets of my signature move will remain clandestine with me."

"It's that much of a hidden truth?" the Genetic Pokémon asked.

Reaper simply eyed at him with his crimson-red pupils. "Can't answer that. I'll leave that as a riddle for your mind. It's been a mystery for well over a thousand years and it will continue to remain so."

The four legendary Pokémon continued their discussion late into the night, where they eventually decided to stay on New Island for the rest of the evening before finding something else to do in the following morning.

It was what Reaper requested from his legendary friends that surprised them. Never in the hearts of Mewtwo and Epsilon would they realize that the phantomlike Latios would be performing such an act of goodwill. Oichi was a bit surprised too but since she knew the Eon Dragon for quite some time, it was expected from him.

* * *

><p><strong>Tree of Beginning, Undisclosed Location<strong>

Although Ash and several of his friends wished to continue their Christmas celebrations with endless meals and plenty of relaxation, fate had something completely different for the Pokémon Trainer as he was soon assigned to continue his training at the unnamed natural reserve in the northern region of Kanto. This area, left almost completely untouched by civilization save for the few environmentally-friendly human settlements in the area, was the home to the Tree of Beginning-a sacred location from which all of Earth's life force was contained at.

During the Uprising War, it was another vital target for the Team Rocket/UAAF alliance. The destruction of the consecrated site would surely mean the destruction of all life on Earth, as the Tree of Beginning was one of the last few original points on Earth that provided much-needed pure energy for all the living beings of Earth. With its importance to the legendaries and their allies alike, Giovanni and Zetta opted on a full-scale air assault on what was thought to be a lightly-defended area with almost no resistance whatsoever. However, what met them was possibly the fiercest form of defense imaginable. A collection of Pokémon Rangers, Kanto Defense Force battalions, wild Pokémon, and several legendary Pokémon had awaited the arrival of the air fleet that threatened to scorch the source of most life on Earth into the ground.

While the battle was inevitably won with unavoidable casualties, traces of the great conflict could still be found in the sector from which the battle was fought. Wrecked vehicles and their debris of both ally and enemy origins could be found around the sites while graves for those who had fallen in the battle were established. As nature and few traces of human habitation was beginning to restore the battered environment to its healthy state, Ash and several of his friends decided to pay a visit not for vacation, but to train. Of course, since it was during the winter season, the lush, green terrain was replaced with endless dunes of snow that covered the entire environment.

"Come on, Ash. You can do better than that. Use your mind and channel your Aura into moving those rocks over there. With your capabilities, I am positive that you are more than capable of levitating them into the air without too much trouble," Ash's instructor encouraged after he witnessed the trainer's failure to successfully move the obstacles with the power of the Aura.

"I know Riley, but it's such a difficult task! I mean, Larissa and Lachlan make it seem so easy but in this case…it appears to be a lot more difficult than it actually looks!" Ash huffed as a result while his body sweated profusely after exerting so much power. "I suppose that's what happens when I spend three years off doing nothing but trying to win yet another league."

The Aura Trainer hailing from Sinnoh chuckled at his remark. "Since you were off duty, I don't think it would be fair that you would have to take part in our cleanup operations. But then, it is a shame to know that your control over the Aura has diminished ever since you stopped utilizing them."

"_Which is the exact reason why we have to bring you back into shape,"_ his Lucario added. _"We can't have your body stay at an inferior level when there are plenty of responsibilities waiting for you to be taken care of. Even in times of peace, there is no reason to lean back and become accustomed to a lack of productivity."_

"I suppose…" Ash trailed off as he perched himself on a rock, grumbling a bit as his body began to feel more and more tired with each passing second. "Am I the only one that's not having fun right now!?"

"Not one bit," Laia answered his question as the Arcean Dragoness's feathers gave off a faint but warm glow of golden-colored light. "Quite a few of our friends have other tasks to adhere to, so don't feel alone. Even then, my daughter and I are willing to bear with your training, so can you let off on the complaining a bit once in a while?" She giggled warmly upon completing the last sentence of her statement.

"_Mom's right!"_ Larissa added. _"I'm willing to train with you, so why not treat it like an excursion? Besides, it's nice to visit the Tree of Beginning and see some beautiful scenery once in a while."_

Ash leaned back and looked at the clouds that drifted by the sky up above. The daughter of the first Latias did strike a point here-it did indeed feel refreshing and rejuvenating to visit the origin from which all life started on Earth. The fact that it was one of the last few such sites in the world meant that its importance was increased tenfold, as the other sites throughout the planet were destroyed by human expansion and industrialization. The legendaries themselves did not intervene-they would know that mankind would learn its lessons soon enough for its destructive measures of expanding their vast empire. Simply inhaling a breath of fresh oxygen generated by the massive tree brought a sense of freshness and relief that washed all the impurities of his body away almost instantly.

"Since I'm feeling a bit tired too, let's take a break, shall we? I suppose it's not a good idea to follow Reaper's style of training…" Laia recommended, wondering how Lord Rayquaza's oldest child was always so harsh and demanding with his recruits.

"_Good idea," _Riley's Lucario added.

As Larissa and her mother continued to playfully converse with each other while Riley's Lucario meditated to stay in tune with his Aura, Ash turned to Riley, the latter who was staring blankly at the distant vegetation growth in the distance. The Tree of Beginning itself was colossal as it easily rivaled the sizes of the skyscrapers that made the majority of Celadon City's skyline. "Thinking about him, Riley?" Ash asked.

Riley nodded a bit as a small but visible smile drifted across his mature and pale-looking face. "Yes. It's hard to wonder that you and I are both descendants of the great Sir Aaron, the legendary Aura Knight. But I suppose it's a difficult feeling to accept at times. Even Kellyn himself was flabbergasted when his linkage with Noriko were discovered. How can I complain? Life can really throw some unexpected curveballs at us. I suppose that's the reason why I stepped up to help Havoc in his efforts to liberate Sinnoh prior to the Uprising War. I just hope how the old man's doing, haha." Both he and the Pokémon Ranger had grown to become close friends and would often meet up with each other whenever either of them had some free time on their hands.

"So do you think you'll be able to go back to your old life of Pokémon research?" Ash queried.

Riley shook his head with an uncertain expression. "I doubt it. When you're constantly working in joint operations with the Pokémon Rangers and other forms of law enforcement, it's highly implausible that I'll be able to go back to my original field of work. What about you, Ash?"

"I'll probably continue to travel as a Pokémon Trainer, I suppose! But I'll keep track of my training for the day I eventually become a legendary myself." Compared to his other allies and teammates, Ash was never a person to focus too much on the negative aspects in his life. Even as a teenager, he was constantly cheerful and upbeat but this had the unfortunate side-effect of constantly annoying his teammates. This was probably because the Pallet Town native's life was trouble free for most of his years-he didn't have to deal with the darker sides of life. On the plus side, though, this meant that he was a trusted figure and while no one, humans and legendaries alike, would ever put him in charge of great responsibility he was often a good motivational figure, if a not-so-successful one.

After the Uprising War, it was clear that a new generation of guardians would have to supplement the other legendary Pokémon that were already in charge of ensuring the stability of the planet. Upon victory of the series of vicious battles, it became clear to Arceus that all the individuals that fought against the Team Rocket and United Aerospace Armed Forces menace were the ones that would become the next delegates. Just like in ancient times when Noriko united various warriors and commanders of different backgrounds to bring forth an age of prosperity and stability to the region, it was necessary for the legendaries to form everlasting relationships with those who treated them as friends and loved ones as opposed to tools or something to be feared.

Of course, it would require training and tests that would push the body, mind, and will of the individuals to the limits before they would be allowed to achieve the status as legendary Pokémon.

"So Riley…about the legendary Pokémon thing and whatnot…" Ash mumbled a bit, wondering how he was going to word the question in a proper format. "Are you going for it?"

Riley shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on the snow-covered grass. "That is a question that I will not be able to provide a clear answer to for a very long time. It would be hard to adapt to the new life, but it sounds like an experience that is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Of course, I have to train, just like you. Then, I'm sure Arceus and the rest of the legendary caste will give you plenty of time to make your final decision, so don't stress about it. In the meantime, why don't you enjoy what you wish to pursue? And of course, make Larissa happy while trying not to set her on fire. I can't stress that enough!"

"Yeah, very funny…" Ash muttered with a tint of red in his cheeks. It was a common running gag within his circle of friends, much to the Pokémon Trainer's dismay.

A short distance away from the pair of conversing humans, Larissa was having fun in the snow as she quickly constructed a figure from the material that resembled Groudon himself. _"Hey mom, how does this look? I built a snow figure in the image of Groudon himself!"_

"Oh sweetheart," Laia giggled as she saw her daughter's handiwork. "It looks fine and all, but I believe you made his head a bit too small in comparison to his body!"

Both mother and daughter couldn't help but laugh at the silly mistake. They had to admit, seeing Groudon with an unusually small head was quite the amusing sight. The pair of feminine Eon Pokémon took their time to construct several more snow figures until they managed to finish quite a sizable collection that composed of a wide variety of wild Pokémon that would occasionally come by and greet the visitors. Many of them were appalled by the fact that two of Sir Aaron's descendants were present but it was the beauty and grace of Larissa and Laia that awed the wild Pokémon.

"They must think we're here to bless them," Laia commented tenderly as she winked at some of the Pokémon that were absolutely stunned by her figure. "Well, I certainly hope that our visit will bring a type of fortune to their lives."

"_So mom, how come the Tree of Beginning has such a great significance on our history?"_ Larissa asked her mother with a tone of curiosity and sweetness.

"Have you forgotten already?" the ascended Eon Dragoness asked with a small giggle. "You certainly are a forgetful one."

"_You do know that kind of stuff is never important, so I don't bother remembering it all! History is boring and interesting at the same time!"_ she admitted with a girlish giggle at the end of her mental comment. _"So can you tell it to me again?"_

Laia sighed with a sense of distress, wondering if her daughter would ever grow up to learn that there was more to life than simply having fun when she didn't need to step up to combat threats alongside her allies. "Oh, alright…I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell the story for the hundredth time."

While the ancient Eon told the story to her beloved daughter, Riley and Ash simply kicked themselves back in relaxation as they observed the two psychic dragonesses with a sense of gratefulness. For one thing, the Aura Trainer from Sinnoh couldn't help but wonder if Ash was just lucky or fated that he would always come into contact with these magnificent creatures. Just like all the other members he worked with, simply being able to admire the beauty of the goddesses was enough. He didn't believe in capturing and holding them against their will, although they were more than willing to act as Pokémon battlers for him, or any of his other friends for that matter, should they need a little extra support in their teams.

* * *

><p><strong>Mass Cemetery, Levis Town, Unova<strong>

"Continue to rest in peace, brother. May the souls of the afterlife continue to keep you company."

The crimson-haired teenager placed a bouquet of flowers on the tombstone of where the remains of his fallen brother were stored. While they were nothing more than the ashes of his sibling, he was still able to sense his presence even though he was living on in the afterlife. Staring up into the sky, he watched the grey clouds roll by in the cold winter sky before releasing a breath of tiredness, the white-tinted vapor drifting into the air before disappearing into nothingness.

The cemetery he was currently visiting was a vast grave for all the individuals that had perished in the Uprising War. Civilians, combatants, humans and Pokémon alike were either buried or had their graves established in a wide area that was roughly the size of a football field. It was a standing piece of testament to just how many lives were taken by the one conflict that united mortals and immortals alike in a last stand for their fight for survival.

Zephyr's mind embroiled itself into a mixture of both bitter and sweet feelings upon thinking about his brother. The part human/part Zoroark hybrid had to berate himself that his younger sibling by the name of Zargabaath (at least that was what the official sources referred to him as) was brainwashed by Red Falcon, a terrorist/criminal syndicate that had extraordinarily strong ties with the UAAF. A series of conflicts and encounters eventually led to the two brothers to engage each other in a duel to the death. While he had the opportunity to liberate his younger sibling and bring him back to his family, the opportunity was all but a lost hope when both were critically injured when the very facility they were fighting in began to collapse on itself. Although Zargabaath's Pokémon lived to tell the tale and Zephyr had given them to two Pokémon Rangers he entrusted considering the righteous hearts both individuals possessed, the owner himself didn't.

As he eventually joined up with other members that were fighting on the side of the legendary Pokémon, Zephyr parted with the two Pokémon that belonged to their former master. Keeping them was only a dark reminder of the past of how he inevitably failed to protect his brother when he needed the aid the most. However, both Pokémon promised that they would visit the brother of their now deceased trainer as often as they could, and of course, the two Pokémon Rangers that were taking care of them lived up to that promise.

"And I have to owe Xander my life…" Zephyr reminded himself quietly as he placed a hand over his chest. The Zoroark, being one of his most dearly loved Pokémon, sacrificed himself too to save his master by combining the essence of his soul into his master's body. "While I continue to elude death like a divine wind, there will come a day where I will not be so lucky."

When that day will be was only a question of matter. As he was prepared to depart, four unexpected visitors greeted him and the sight of the individuals brought a warm smile to the estranged young adult's expression.

"Hey Zephyr. Since we'll be in Unova for a while to serve in one of the bases in this region, I thought I'd bring some old friends along," Kellyn greeted, a Lucario donning a white pauldron on his left shoulder at his side.

"_Good to see you again master," _the Aura Pokémon greeted modestly.

Leon simply performed a friendly wave as an Espeon that had a white-colored scarf wrapped around her neck locked her spooky-looking on her master with a sense of happiness.

"_It warms me up that you're remaining healthy,"_ the Psychic-type evolution of Eevee spoke via telepathy, happy to know that her deceased trainer's brother was still looking healthier than ever both in the physical and emotional sense.

"Kellyn, Leon, Xavier, Psi…" the human/Zoroark hybrid recited their names emotionlessly. "I am glad that you managed to spare some of your time to visit me." He then turned his heed to the two law enforcement officials before complimenting them with, "Of course, I owe it to you two for taking care of the Pokémon that I entrusted you with. Have you been treating them well?"

"Of course," Kellyn answered his question with utmost honesty. "It's our duty as Pokémon Rangers. Not doing so would mean breaking our code…even though the image of our organization has been tarnished by various scandals that I'm sure that you're very well aware of. That and it's probably a token of apology to how we were not able to compensate your losses in a rightful manner…" The Warrant Officer kicked at the snowy ground with a rather unhappy expression on his face. While the Unova branch of the Rangers agreed to help with the reconstruction of Levis Town while protecting it from potential Red Falcon and Cipher assaults that might have gone underground, he couldn't help but feel that he should be doing a lot more.

"_Hey,"_ Xavier voiced as he placed his paw on Kellyn's shoulder. _"Don't feel too bad. You did your job and gave us a home and place of belonging. That was what our master wished for. The notion that you live up to me and Psi's promises is standing proof that he is grateful for what you've done for us two."_

Kellyn nodded as he wore an indistinct smile on his appearance. "I appreciate it, thanks."

The neutral expression of Zephyr continued to overtake his dark-like presentation. "Ah, yes…it is just standing proof that even the purest and most honest form of benevolence can be tainted with the darkest desires imaginable. My sincerest apologies to hear that some of your leaders went against the very codes they established and their attempts to silence dissidents like you and your brother."

"_A most unfortunate event, but it does not dampen our trusts within these two boys. They have proven themselves to be exceptionally trustworthy and it is only fair that we give credit when it is due,"_ Xavier commented, reflecting on just how deeply he trusted the older sibling of the duo. Although he and Psi's loyalties were firmly secured with Zephyr, both listened to their temporary Pokémon Trainers without a fault.

Both Kellyn and Leon bit their lips in dissatisfaction. While the Pokémon Ranger Corps was among one of the most respected law enforcement organizations in the world, the betrayals caused by the ones in the higher positions of the organization during the Uprising War meant that many members defected from their moralities out of fear or were simply just following the orders of their superiors. The more noble and daring Pokémon Rangers decided to permanently desert the organization while seeking shelter under new forms of authority but it was only after the war when the chain of command was completely reformatted and the union was back on its feet. While most of the members were forgiven by the victors of the war, the memory of a single scandal on what was otherwise a perfect, clean record of a trusted military/police force meant that it would remain in the hearts of those who remembered that even the most honest would fall to corruption and other forms of dark desires.

"Hey, you two, go ahead and take your time to spend some time with Zephyr," Kellyn urged to Xavier and Psi. "We'll only be here for a day or two before we have to sign in to the base, so make it count."

"You're sure, right?" Psi questioned skeptically, wondering if she was allowed to spend more time with the older sibling of her now deceased Pokémon Trainer.

Leon smiled warmly as he stroked the velvet-like fur of the Espeon with a loving gesture. "We've taken you two to Unova whenever the opportunity presents itself, even if our schedules are a bit tightly packed. A promise is a promise." He recalled an incident where he and Kellyn both had to sign up for temporary leave after Zephyr fell ill from stress, just so the two Rangers could fly to Unova and allow the two Pokémon to visit their master. In the process, they also brought the much-needed medication to help their newfound ally regain his health faster.

The two Pokémon Rangers turned to their respective Pokémon and gave them a silent nod. The two Pokémon quickly moved over to Zephyr before embracing him with multiple gestures of affection as a way of displaying just how much they had missed their caretaker after several years.

"Say, where's Terios?" Leon asked as he tried to look for the Umbreon that always accompanied his trainer. It was a strange sight to him that the Moonlight Pokémon was not accompanying his trainer.

Zephyr paused for a moment as he turned his attention to the Pokémon Ranger. "He is currently in Levis Town. Ever since the events of the past that resulted in the destruction of my hometown because of a lack of security, I left him there to ensure that such an event will not happen again. I am in charge of protecting the town as I am the most skilled Pokémon Trainer there along with the local police force on station there."

"Ah, I see," the Corporal simply responded with a small sense of insecurity of how to continue adding to the question. Being the modest person that he was, he did not wish to offend anyone that he had friendly relations with. "Oh, and Arceus and his subordinates also informed me to wish you a Merry Christmas, considering you didn't show up to his event."

The twenty-two-year-old individual stared at him with his cold-looking eyes as a warm smile drifted across his face. "I appreciate your wishes and please send my regard to him if you have the chance. Of course, I was not able to attend mainly because I cannot leave my hometown for long periods of time. I do hope that Arceus and his subordinates can understand that…along with the fact that I'm not a big fan of social events as you're all probably aware of already." The reality of that he didn't have a wide variety of companions until the Uprising War made his social skills to be rather inadequate, but he didn't let this disturb him one bit.

"Don't worry about it. They do," Leon assured his companion. "Any plans for the future? You can't just lull around in a depressed manner. Shouldn't you start over with a clean slate or something similar?"

Zephyr shook his head as the two Pokémon that formerly belonged to his brother patiently waited at his sides. "Maybe sometime, but I do have unfinished business to take care of. As always, I have to continue hunting the individuals that were solely responsible for my peoples' death." The mere thought of Red Falcon was enough to bring his cool and collected attitude into a full-blown state of rage.

"Well, that's what they called us here for…" Leon revealed. "The Unova Marine Corps believe that a bit of Ranger reinforcements would help out in uprooting the organization."

"Most interesting…but you can never be too careful. Ghetsis's organization is still at large out there and it is never wise to rest on your laurels. This is the reason why I wish for you to keep up with your training, because rumors say that Team Plasma is still at large and will continue their attempts of insurrection across this region. It would pain me to hear that one of the few people that accepted my company shook hands with Giratina just because he couldn't flee from a rampant wild Pokémon…" the twenty-two-year-old young adult advised, placing a rather strong and possibly intentional sadistic-sounding emphasis on his last sentence.

Leon nodded with a combination of confidence and slight nervousness. "Don't worry, as you can count on us two as a fine example of the Rangers!"

The red-haired teenager faintly smiled at his upbeat comment. "You never cease to disappoint, Corporal." He pulled out a small bottle of pills before popping them into his mouth, which concerned both Kellyn and Leon.

"It's not a good idea to drown your problems out in drugs," the elder brother of the duo recommended. Leon looked on with concern as he was well accustomed with those in the Ranger Corps that uses drugs to suppress their mental issues.

Zephyr swallowed the pills before discarding the bottle back into his pocket without too much care. "I'm used to it. It's the only method I can use to eradicate thoughts I just don't want in my head."

As the trio of individuals continued to engage in a relatively quiet conversation, Kellyn fell into a state of silence as he scanned his eyes across the tombstones of the massive cemetery. Such a sight made him mildly depressed but he could only wish that they too were resting peacefully in the afterlife while celebrating the joyful festivities that were always held on the last two weeks of December. It pained his heart to see those he fought along to come and go, but the best he could do for the now deceased souls was to thank them for their contribution before their departure from the living.

* * *

><p><strong>Kanto Orphanage, Celadon City<strong>

While Reaper wasn't exactly an individual that wanted to celebrate Christmas in a festivity-type method given his dislike of social events, he had a soft spot for children who were far less fortunate than the humans that had befriended the legendaries. With some donations, a little shopping, and some assistance from Mewtwo and Epsilon, the Eon Pokémon was able to purchase a sizable amount of presents that would be given as a token of goodwill to an orphanage in Celadon City. About a week or so before Christmas, the trio of legendaries quickly decided to deliver the presents as they entered the city on a snowy night. Although the streets were relatively devoid of any people and Pokémon, Reaper had to adopt a disguise as a grey-feathered Latios would definitely induce some confusion and potentially fear within the hearts of those he wanted to bring happiness to.

As Mewtwo and Epsilon watched the legendary transform, a wave of grey light overtook Reaper's body before the physique of a male in his mid-twenties replaced the sleek build of a Latios. His clothing was mainly a set of Special Forces fatigues that was black in coloration that was not unlike those worn by UAAF and Team Rocket commandos in the previous war, with the only difference being that his outfit lacked the emblems, coat of arms, and other symbols that were sewn on or attached to the battledresses of the corporate militaries' soldiers. His hair was grey and was moderately spiky while being quite messy while a ragged piece of cloth acted as a scarf and facial obstruction that allowed him to keep his vapor breaths low. Black-colored combat boots made of leather and metal protected his feet from the freezing cold, and a bulletproof vest was slung over his torso-but of course, it wasn't meant for protection. It was actually his preferred method of carrying his set of psionic shurikens and kunais.

"Well, I wouldn't call that a gentleman's preference of clothing…wearing a United Aerospace Armed Forces commando's uniform isn't exactly a good idea," Epsilon complimented, hoping not to sound too negative or sarcastic in his remark.

Mewtwo widened his eyes slightly as he picked up the sinister energy waves that were emanated from the arsenal of weapons concealed from within Reaper's vest. "And I thought I was prepared for any situation."

Reaper shrugged as he lowered the facecloth that masked the lower portion of his face. "If you have any better ideas, I'm all ears. Besides, I lost the emblems and coat of arms that are usually displayed across their outfits so they probably won't feel hostile."

The Deoxys rolled his eyes for a moment or two before changing the topic, as he wasn't really in an exact mood to argue with the Eon. "So is this where you want us to drop off the presents?" Epsilon asked as he kept a ring of carefully-wrapped boxes levitating around him.

"Yes. Just leave them here. I'll deal with the rest, but I do have to thank you two for helping me with my shopping," Reaper thanked in earnest before dismissing them. "You're free to go."

Stacking the gifts in a neat manner atop on each other, the two psychic-types departed quietly into the night. Once Reaper felt that it was safe to knock without inducing any alarms due to the presence of two legendary and hostile Pokémon (at least in the eyes of the mortals), he walked towards the front door and gently knocked on it several times. _"Hope that my act of goodwill doesn't raise alarms of the fact there's a UAAF commando in town,"_ he prayed as his teeth chattered a bit.

Moments later, an elderly woman, most likely the owner and manager of the orphanage, opened the front door answered his signal with a humble smile. "Oh, a visitor? What brings you here?"

Reaper gave off a warm smile and greeted the manager, sighing a bit with relief that his disguise didn't give off the vibe that he was a hostile individual for the time being. "I'm a former Team Rocket mercenary that's here to provide gifts for the children that lives here and I wish to provide a generous donation to this very orphanage," he explained, trying to sound his best without giving off any impressions that he was lying. While he hated presenting himself under the guise of a soldier of fortune working for Giovanni, it was the best excuse he could think of.

The old lady smiled modestly before replying with, "Oh, that's very sweet of you young man. The children here have just finished dinner and are in the living room. Please, make yourself at home." She had shown no negative emotions about the fact that Reaper had just admitted himself to be a former soldier belonging to one of the most hated organizations on the planet.

"_I guess they're more open regarding the visitors. Strange…I thought they'd call the police on me the moment I admitted myself to be a Team Rocket Elite,"_ Reaper thought in a semi-blank state.

The disguised Eon Pokémon nodded with a faded smile before he telepathically lifted the humongous stack of presents that was set out behind him and proceeded into the shelter. As he brought the stockpile of gifts into the orphanage, he noticed that the elderly manager hadn't really paid attention to the fact that the visitor possessed unnatural psychic powers-a quick scan of her mind from Reaper revealed that she was just grateful that someone was willing to give so generously to the establishment, since it rarely got donations from outsiders aside from the commonplace police officer, Pokémon Ranger, or the travelling civilian that had a heart of good.

"_Someone needs to warm up the holidays a bit after all,"_ the Ghost/Psychic/Dragon-type admitted mentally as he entered the living room.

As the elderly administrator and several volunteers of the orphanage managed to arrange the kids in a proper and settled-down manner, Reaper brought forth the gifts he had with him and presented himself to the homeless children. He waited for the youths to calm down their excitements first before he began a quick speech-once again, none of the human children were frightened or unsettled by the intimidating set of clothes that the disguised Eon Pokémon wore. Perhaps it was because they were so excited about the fact that there was a visitor here to make their holidays a bit more comforting.

"Good evening everyone," the cloaked Reaper began, grumbling to himself mentally as he forced his mind to speak as much kind-sounding words as possible. "Christmas is a time where you get together with your family and friends, but unfortunately that is only a dream on your parts. However, it is also the reason why I am here-to make your holidays brighter. I've brought with me plenty of presents of all types for you all."

Upon hearing his last sentence, the orphaned children went up into a state of excitement and frenzy but Reaper quickly held up his right hand as a gesture for them to settle down once again, which was achieved a few seconds later.

"Thank you," the disguised legendary returned. "Now before I hand out these presents to you, you have to promise me on several things."

"What are they, mister?" the children chorused. From their tone of speaking, it was crystal clear to Reaper that they were extremely anxious to receive their presents but the Eon had to give them credit for not mobbing him in a complete state of uncontrollability. Not that it mattered or was a concern on his part, anyways.

Reaper chuckled warmly before beginning his sentence with, "You must promise me to share these offerings with your fellow housemates. There's plenty to go around so please do not injure each other out of petty fights and other meaningless conflicts. Secondly, continue to behave and obey your supervisors and I'll definitely come around once again next year with even more presents for you all. And lastly, work hard. Whatever you wish to be in the future, I can guarantee you that you'll be able to reach that destination as long as you persevere." He sighed to himself before remembering how Kellyn and Leon had both shown him just how much a persisting human could accomplish impossible deeds. _"Those two never gave up on us and are a favorite among the legendaries, especially the females."_

"We promise!" the kids chorused once again, and the supervising adults laughed warmly at their gesture.

"Good. Now please line up in a single-file formation as I give you the presents," Reaper instructed.

The youths all lined up and patiently waited for their turn to receive something from the visiting individual that was dressed up in what was perhaps the coolest human outfit they had ever seen. As the masqueraded ghostly Latios handed out presents that ranged from candy to toys, many of the children requested to take a picture with what they believed to be their Santa Claus for this holiday season. Reaper was fine with it but it partially annoyed him when some of the children wanted to pose on his shoulder for a picture.

"Wow, are you really Santa Claus?" a little girl asked in amazement as Reaper handed her a box enclosed in colorful wrapping paper. "Where is your shiny red nose, the big round belly, and most importantly, your sleigh and the flying Stantlers?"

Reaper scratched his head with a nervous laugh and quickly responded with, "Oh, I'm a volunteer for Santa Claus. He accepts assistants of all backgrounds and it just so happens that I wasn't busy so I was able to help out. Anyways, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"

"Thank you, Santa's helper!" she voiced back with gratitude before the next child met up with him with an anxious face. Reaper spoke his usual greetings and wishes before handing off more presents (and of course, the occasional photo-taking opportunities that the kids didn't want to miss) and by the end of it all, he was all but a burned out legendary Pokémon that needed some immediate rest. Thankfully, by the end of the present distribution, the volunteers of the orphanage had sent the children off to sleep and thus, it provided Reaper a sense of silent tranquility as he leaned back against the comfortable sofa with a sense of tiredness.

"I'm glad you showed up to cheer up the children that live here," the aged manager of the orphan home thanked as she handed Reaper a mug of warm coffee.

Reaper smiled as he accepted the drink. While he wasn't exactly one to accept gifts or tokens of appreciation, he was just far too exhausted to care anymore. "Well, I have to spend my money somehow and the thought of seeing children that never met or would never see their parents again in their lives live through a holiday season like this depress me. I suppose that I had to take action, even if it meant that I was posing as one of Santa's little helpers," he laughed sarcastically at his statement.

"So…you're a Team Rocket mercenary that happened to work in conjunction with the UAAF Commando Corps?" the lady asked with a mixture of interest and surprise.

Reaper nodded, of course keeping the real truth hidden. "Yes. But do not worry, for I am not armed. I've been living low to avoid the law. Just a question though: why aren't you frightened? After all, Team Rocket and UAAF commandos were among the most feared human beings of the Uprising War." He sipped his coffee to relieve some of the thirst he was experiencing.

"Because," the orphanage manager trailed off with a neutral expression while a tear formed in her right eye. "My two sons ended up as Team Rocket members themselves. I wish that wasn't the truth…I haven't heard from them ever since they left the house in anger when I opposed their ideals of joining the criminal enterprise."

The ethereal Eon Pokémon immediately felt guilty as a lump formed in his throat. While he hated the organization and mercilessly slaughtered countless soldiers for their atrocious crimes committed during the conflicts, he didn't know what to say to what was potentially a mother of someone he had slain in cold blood. "Uh, that's most unfortunate…I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps should they be captured, they will be given a fair trial and hopefully be re-released back into society with a new image." He paused, took another drink from his mug and resumed with, "I've taken away loved ones of all types with my actions. The countless sons, daughters, husbands, wives killed at my cold hands…my cruel actions have brought misery on thousands just because I followed Giovanni's orders. The thought of meeting someone whose loved one was murdered by Team Rocket pains me." _"While it's mostly false, the reverse is true. Out there, there's probably an enraged parent of a son in Team Rocket that was butchered by me and their sight of me would only infuriate them all the much more."_

The wrinkled elder nodded silently as a means of saying that there was no need to feel sorry for what had happened in the past. "It's fine. You shouldn't blame yourself for actions that you didn't choose to perform on your own instincts. Just one thing bothers me though. What drove you to commit this deed? There has to be a reason."

"The sights of children's smiles and laughter acts as a medicine for the depressed path I follow, even if it happens to be a form of temporary relief. Other happy sights, such as seeing a couple get married and bonded together until their deaths, just don't bring the same type of emotion to me for some reason," was Reaper's vague-sounding answer to the orphanage owner.

Silence continued to dominate the atmosphere for a minute or two before the ethereal Latios decided it was time to depart. Passing the mug back to the elderly lady, he proceeded to dissolve into shadow particles before vanishing from sight.

"Maybe it's just me and my frail senses getting to me…but thank you, Reaper. Thank you for your act of goodwill," the owner mumbled gratefully, remembering seeing the same individual on television when the victory parade took place in the streets of Saffron City.

* * *

><p><strong>Hall of Origin<strong>

"So Arcy…is that standing proof that all these individuals are fit enough to join our ranks as sworn guardians?" Mew asked eagerly after displaying all of the

Arceus immediately shook his head id disapproval. "You can't jump to conclusions, Mew. These decisions can easily take well over a thousand years to decide! Besides, I'm a bit skeptical of introducing controversial members into our ranks, such as the Pokémon Rangers and the lesser followers that live and serve under our command. You know how reckless some of them can be."

"Aw, come on! I want them as playmates! They're all so youthful and full of vigor! Can't you come up with the conclusion already? They've proven themselves to be responsible youths that will loyally follow us, no matter how dark the situation may be!" the New Species Pokémon protested with a pouty voice.

Arceus released a groan of further stress. The world might have been at relative peace for the last few years, but he certainly wouldn't be for quite a long time. It was times like these when the Overlord could experience some vacation time for once.

"There you go again, complaining that you never get a break," Mew criticized, pointing out his flaws once again. "Perhaps one day, we should switch places so I can show you the joy of freedom from all kinds of negative feelings for once. That and I can just show you how stress-free your job can be."

"_I'm starting to feel that I wasn't the first one who had that idea,"_ the majestic Pokémon god muttered in his head, wondering if it was just coincidence or not.

* * *

><p><em><strong><em><strong>Once again, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Although my beta has declined from editing this due to his exam-packed schedule, forgive me if this update isn't as good as you initially expected it to be. But hey, he's been anticipating this for the addition of Kellyn and Reaper, both of which are characters he's grown to appreciate…once again I hope you enjoy my portrayal of these two.<br>**_**_

_**_**Since I'm prepared for the bombardment of flames for why I made Drew a complete asswipe, well, here's your answer: I don't like him and he's an overrated jerk. Putting him in the shoes of a spoiled brat is a perfect fit. And for those who's going to call me out for it: be grateful he's even IN my story to begin with. I normally don't speak like this but there are people who immediately put on the hate helmet the moment this happens.  
><strong>_**_

_**That's it! Hope you liked this update and I'll report to you all once the second anniversary of Uprising hits! I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.**_

_**-Soldier of the Future**_


End file.
